Anaconda Casts Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn

Thandiwe Newton, who starred in HBO’s acclaimed Westworld, and Silo actor Steve Zahn have been swallowed up by Anaconda, Columbia’s comedic reimagining of the 1997 horror movie that launched a mini-franchise.

Selton Mello, who appears in Brazilian awards season hopeful I’m Still Here, and Ione Skye have also joined the feature that stars by Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Mello will be making his English-language debut with the action comedy.

Tom Gormican, who directed the Nicolas Cage meta movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is co-writing with collaborator Kevin Etten and will direct the feature.

The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.

The new story, according to sources, involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

Black will play an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.

Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends that join the two on the ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal wrangler. Skye is playing Black’s wife.

The movie is now shooting in Australia, where it being supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy. 

Fully Formed, the banner run by producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, is producing the movie, which has a Dec. 25 release date.

Newton, who won an Emmy for her work on Westworld, can currently be heard as part of the voice cast of Mufasa: The Lion King. She is repped by WME and Independent Talent.

Zahn, who appeared in the first season of HBO’s The White Lotus, will next be seen opposite Glen Powell in Hulu’s upcoming series Chad Powers. He is repped by UTA, Principal Entertainment LA, and Sloane Offer.

An actor since childhood in his native Brazil, Mello now stars opposite Fernanda Torrers in Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here. The political drama scored a major and surprise boost in the awards race earlier this month, when Torres won the Golden Globe for best actress. The movie also had a best foreign language film nomination and is Brazil’s entry into the Oscar race.

Mello, who additionally last year starred in Brazilian movie Bury Your Dead, is also a director, with one of his movies, The Clown, serving as his country’s submission for the best foreign language film at the 2013 Oscars. He is repped by Danielle Robinson at ColorCreative and Lucy Popkin at GGSSC. 

Skye, the longtime actress who is known for her work ranging from Say Anything to Zodiac, has been doing series work, notching credits on Netflix’s Beef, NBC’s La Brea, and NBC’s Good Girls.  She is repped by Buchwald, CP Artist Management and Management Production Entertainment.