Anaconda casts Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn

Thandiwe Newton, who starred in the acclaimed HBO films WestworldAnd silo Actor Steve Zahn was swallowed up by them anacondaColumbia’s comedic reimagining of the 1997 horror film that launched a mini-franchise.

Selton Mello, who is hopeful for the Brazilian awards season I’m still hereand Ione Skye have also joined the feature film, which stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Mello will make his English-language debut with the action comedy.

Tom Gormican, director of the Nicolas Cage metafilm The unbearable weight of enormous talentco-writes with his colleague Kevin Etten and will direct the feature.

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

According to sources, the new story follows a group of friends who face a midlife crisis and remake their favorite movie from their youth. They go to the rainforest and fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

Black will play a former director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who has starred in a crime series for a while but finds his Hollywood dreams receding further and further away.

Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends who will accompany the two on their ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal hunter. Skye plays Black’s wife.

The film is currently filming in Australia, where it is supported by the Queensland Government as part of Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

Fully Formed, the banner of producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, is producing the film, which has a release date of December 25th.

Newton, who won an Emmy for her work Westworldcan 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 HBO’s first season The White LotusHe will next be seen opposite Glen Powell in the upcoming Hulu series Chad Powers. He is repped by UTA, Principal Entertainment LA and Sloane Offer.

Mello has been an actor since childhood in his native Brazil and now stars opposite Fernanda Torrers in Walter Salles’ I’m still here. The political drama scored a major and surprising boost in the awards race earlier this month when Torres won the Golden Globe for best actress. The film also received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and is Brazil’s entry into the Oscar race.

Mello, who also starred in a Brazilian film last year Bury your deadHe is also a director, with one of his films, The clownwhich served as his country’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2013 Oscars. He is represented by Danielle Robinson at ColorCreative and Lucy Popkin at GGSSC.

Skye, the long-time actress known for her work Say something To ZodiacHe has worked on series and secured credits for Netflix beefNBC’s La Breaand NBC’s Good girls. She is represented by Buchwald, CP Artist Management and Management Production Entertainment.