Forget the Anaconda remake, watch the J Lo original on Netflix now instead

The entire internet lost its marbles when a Jack Black remake of the 1997 classic, Anaconda, was teased in a first trailer earlier this week.

Could this be the remake we never needed, 28 years after the original was first shown in cinemas? Probably. But it's also a damn fine excuse to tune into Netflix and watch the original.

I've not seen the movie for years, granted, but just watching that trailer took me right back. It's also incredible to see how many A-list stars appear – not least, of course, that J.Lo is the lead!

Anaconda (1997) trailer

ANACONDA [1997] – Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

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What's Anaconda about? Why the remake now?

Anaconda is about – and this won't come as a surprise – an anaconda snake. Just a bloody big one. All 40-feet of it, to be precise.

When a film crew, led by Terri Flores (played Jennifer Lopez – to give J.Lo her full name), goes into the Amazon jungle in search of a tribe, they're met with something quite different.

Cue the team, which includes cameraman (played by Ice Cube), and anthropologist (Eric Stoltz), getting into some seriously slithery trouble. They meet others along the way, none of whom seem to last long – including Dixon (played by Owen Wilson).

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See, I told you there was a big list of A-listers in the original! The top talent hasn't died down for the 2025 remake, either, with Jack Black being joined by Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton and more.

Director, Tom Gormican, ultimately looks to be taking a more comedic take this time around. The original Anaconda was also stretched out by a slew of sequels, wrapping up in 2009 – so a full 16 years ago.

Is Anaconda highly rated? What about the remake?

ANACONDA – Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

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The original Anaconda wasn't exactly received with critical acclaim. One look at Rotten Tomatoes tells you that – thanks to a 41% critics score and even poorer 24% audience rating

.The original movie's rating on IMDB doesn't fare much better either, with a mere 4.9/10 score.

The only way is up from there, surely? Jack Black's talents are sometimes misplaced, though, from Minecraft to under-the-radar Dear Santa. He's been in a whole lot of movies, for better or worse, but perhaps Anaconda needs the zany treatment for 2025.

While the forthcoming Anaconda will only be in cinemas initially – hilariously on Christmas Day, the 25 December (what a gift!) – you can watch the original and altogether different J.Lo version on Netflix right now. So go get your fangs into it!