Producer Brad Fuller explains why Anaconda is a meta horror comedy rather than a straight remake of the 1997 creature feature.
Remakes ā particularly of genre films ā are hardly a new phenomenon, but the upcoming Anaconda promises to be rather different. It stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd as two filmmakers (a director and actor respectively) whose careers have hit the skids.
In a final attempt to make something of themselves, the pair head to the Amazon and attempt to shoot their own low-budget remake of a 1997 creature feature called ā you guessed it ā Anaconda. In other words, itās a meta comedy take on a familiar name, brought to the screen by director Tom Gormican, whose The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent ā a likeably daft dissection of Nicolas Cageās career ā was similarly post-modern.
The new Anaconda is being produced by Brad Fuller, co-founder of production company Platinum Dunes. Heās no stranger to remakes, having overseen the likes of 2003ās The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2005ās The Amityville Horror and more besides. Another film of Fullerās ā the tense sci-fi monster film Elevation, directed by George Nolfi ā is heading to Prime Video this month, and when we spoke to Fuller on a video call about that film a few days ago, he was on the set of Anaconda in Brisbane, Australia.
Inevitably, the conversation turned to Anaconda on occasion, and Fuller explained why this new take on the 90s title has gone down the comedy route. Referencing Platinum Dunesā earlier cycle of straight horror remakes, Fuller said, āIf weāre going to do a remake, then there has to be a real reason to do it. There has to be a big enough idea, like Anaconda as a comedy ā to me, is a fun movie, right? If weāre just first Anaconda, with J-Lo and Ice Cube, thatās not gonna work.ā
Fuller also added that, with this being the first comedy heās produced, thereās a certain amount of apprehensiveness involved.
āI feel like I have a sense when Iām shooting a scene that has a scare,ā he said. āFrom all the movies Iāve done, I feel like I have a sense of if itās going to work. But with comedy, Iāve never done it before, and I have no idea. I just know what I find funny, and I donāt know if anyone else does. So weāll see how that works out on this movie [Anaconda].ā
Rest assured, however, that while Anaconda is a comedy, itāll contain flashes of serpentine gore, much like the 1997 film.
āThereās definitely horror elements,ā Fuller said. āI mean, thatās why weāre here. Sony put us on the movie because they want the horror to work. The director here, Tom [Gormican], whoās known for being a comedy director. Weāre merging both. And itās a little scary to do that, because people have certainly done horror comedy, but not the way that weāre doing it here.ā
Anaconda is currently scheduled for a US cinema release on the 25th December.
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