Anaconda (film series)

Anaconda
Cover for the DVD box set containing the first four films
Created by
Original workAnaconda (1997)
OwnerSony Pictures Entertainment
Years1997–present
Films and television
Film(s)
Television film(s)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)Anaconda (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2025)

Anaconda (also known as Anacondas) is a series of American horror films created by Hans Bauer, Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The series began with Anaconda (1997) and was followed by one theatrical stand-alone sequel, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004), three television sequels (Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008), Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009), and Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015), the latter being a crossover with the Lake Placid film series), and a meta-reboot, Anaconda (2025).[1] In addition, a Chinese remake of the 1997 film was released in 2024. Each installment revolves around giant man-eating anacondas and the efforts of various groups of people to capture or destroy the creatures. The fictional plant known as the Blood Orchid and the company Wexel Hall Pharmaceuticals as well as the fictitious Murdoch family are repeatedly referenced in the films.

Films

Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producer(s)
Anaconda April 11, 1997 Luis Llosa Hans Bauer, Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr. Verna Harrah, Carol Little & Leonard Rabinowitz
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid August 27, 2004 Dwight H. Little John Claflin, Daniel Zelman, Michael Miner & Edward Neumeier Hans Bauer, Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr. Verna Harrah
Anaconda 3: Offspring July 26, 2008 Don E. FauntLeRoy Nicholas Davidoff & David Olson Alison Semenza
Anacondas: Trail of Blood February 28, 2009 David Olson
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda April 25, 2015 A.B. Stone Berkeley Anderson Jeffery Beach & Phillip Roth
Anaconda March 1, 2024 (China)
January 23, 2025 (worldwide)
Xiang Quiliang &
Xiang Hesheng
Foxfoxbee Xiang Quiliang &
Xiang Hesheng
Anaconda December 25, 2025 Tom Gormican Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten Brad Fuller, Andrew Form,
Kevin Etten & Tom Gormican

Anaconda (1997)

A documentary film crew travels deep into the Amazon rainforest to film a story about a secluded tribe. They encounter a massive, deadly anaconda that begins hunting them one by one. As the crew fights for survival, they realize they are not only being stalked by the snake but also by a mysterious man who seeks to capture the giant snake.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

A group of researchers from Wexel Hall embarks on an expedition to the jungles of Borneo in search of the rare Blood Orchid, believed to have medicinal properties. However, they encounter a massive breed of aggressive and dangerous Anacondas. As they venture deeper into the jungle, they must fight for survival against both the snakes, the unforgiving environment, and their own ambitions.

Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008)

The film follows a team of scientists working in a remote facility for Wexel Hall where they are experimenting with genetic engineering and the Blood Orchid. They inadvertently create a new breed of anacondas, which grows to monstrous size and escapes into the wild. As the snakes escape and wreak havoc, a group of mercenaries and the scientists must work together to stop it before it reaches a populated area.

Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)

Amanda Hayes, a former scientist behind the creation of genetically engineered anacondas of the third film, must stop the last of the mutant anacondas she helped create after it gained regenerative abilities from the Blood Orchid's experiments. As the creature grows deadlier, Amanda joins a group of survivors to track it down and prevent it from wreacking further havoc.

Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015)

Wexel Hall inadvertently causes a new generation of anacondas to escape into the crocodile-infested Black Lake. As the deadly snakes wreak havoc on the town, Sheriff Reba and her team must face off against the killer reptiles. With both creatures threatening the town's survival, the characters must find a way to stop the carnage and prevent further destruction.

Anaconda (2024)

Anaconda (狂蟒之灾) (also known as Hundred Poisons Rampage[2]) is a 2024 Chinese horror film. A remake of the 1997 film, it was released in China on March 1, 2024, and later internationally on January 23, 2025, under the title Anaconda: Cursed Jungle.[3] It was written by Foxfoxbee, and produced and directed by Xiang Quiliang and Xiang Hesheng. This Anaconda remake comes courtesy of Canno Studio Pictures, Xiang Bros Studios, and Sony Pictures Television.[4]

Anaconda (2025)

In January 2020, it was announced that Columbia Pictures was developing a reboot of the 1997 cult film Anaconda, with Evan Daugherty attached to write the screenplay.[5] In March 2023, Tom Gormican was attached as the director of the film.[6] In August 2024, Jack Black and Paul Rudd were cast in the leading roles, with Tom Gormican confirmed to direct from a screenplay written by Gormican and Kevin Etten, changing the story into a meta-reboot.[7] In September, Daniela Melchior joined the cast.[8] In December, it was announced that the film will officially be releasing on December 25, 2025.[9]

Cast

Key
List indicators
  • A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the film or that the character's presence in the film has yet to be announced.
  • An A indicates an appearance through archival footage or stills.
  • A C indicates a cameo role.
  • A U indicates an uncredited role.
  • A Y indicates a younger version of the character.
Characters
Anaconda Anacondas:
The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
Anaconda 3:
Offspring
Anacondas:
Trail of Blood
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda Anaconda Anaconda
1997 2004 2008 2009 2015 2024 2025
Terri Flores Jennifer Lopez Mentioned
Danny Rich Ice Cube
Paulerson "Paul" Serone Jon Voight
Professor Steven "Steve" Cale Eric Stoltz
Warren Westridge Jonathan Hyde
Gary Dixon Owen Wilson
Denise Kalberg Kari Wuhrer
Mateo Vincent Castellanos
Poacher Danny Trejo
William "Bill" Johnson Johnny Messner
Samantha "Sam" Rogers KaDee Strickland
Dr. Jackson "Jack" Bryon Matthew Marsden
Cole Burris Eugene Byrd
Gail Stern Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Tran Wu Karl Yune
Gordon Mitchell Morris Chestnut
Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Douglas Nicholas Gonzalez
John Livingston Andy Anderson
Stephen Hammett David Hasselhoff
Dr. Amanda Hayes Crystal Allen
Peter "J.D." Murdoch John Rhys-Davies Mentioned
Pinkus Ryan McCluskey
Nick Patrick Regis
Andrei Alin Olteanu
Grozny Anthony Green Anthony GreenA
Victor Toma Danilă Toma DanilăA
Sofia Milhaela Oros Milhaela OrosA
Professor Eric Kane Şerban Celea Şerban CeleaA
Darryl Alin Constantinescu Alin ConstantinescuA
Peter Reysner Zoltan Butuc
Murdoch's Assistant Cristina Teodorescu
Jackson Linden Ashby
Scott Danny Midwinter
Alex Călin Stanciu
Heather Ana Ularu
Wendy Anca Androne
Eugene Emil Hostina
Roland / Patrick Alexandru Potoceanu
Will "Tully" Tull Corin Nemec
Reba Yancy Butler
Bethany Tull Skye Lourie
Jim Bickerman Robert Englund
Sarah Murdoch Annabel Wright
Beach Stephen BillingtonU
Tiffani Laura Dale
Margo Ali Eagle
Jane Heather Gilbert
Jennifer Georgina Philipps
Melissa Jenny May Darcy
Deputy Ferguson Oliver Walker
Jeff Terence Yin
Gong Lan Lan Nita Lei
Ali Wang Xing Chen
Di Jiao Wang Gang
Jia Peng Wang Zirun
Jin Ba Liang Shaohang Xu
Zhang Tian Shi Tat-Wah Lok
Circus Boss Jiu Kong
Captain Sarai Paul Che
Ronald "Griff" Griffen Jr. Paul Rudd
Romeo EllardY
Doug McCallister Jack Black
Jack WatersY
Kenny Trent Steve Zahn
Reagan GeorgeY
Claire Simons Thandiwe Newton
Aimee BahY
Ana Almeida Daniela Melchior
Carlos Santiago Braga Selton Mello
Malie McCallister Ione Skye
Ice Cube HimselfC
Jennifer Lopez HerselfCU

Crew

Role Film
Anaconda Anacondas:
The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
Anaconda 3:
Offspring
Anacondas:
Trail of Blood
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda Anaconda Anaconda
1997 2004 2008 2009 2015 2024 2025
Composer(s) Randy Edelman Nerida Tyson-Chew Peter Meisner Claude Foisy N/a David Fleming
Cinematographer Bill Butler Stephen F. Windon Don E. FauntLeRoy Ivo Peitchev N/a Nigel Bluck
Editor(s) Michael R. Miller Marcus D'Arcy
Mark Warner
Scott Conrad N/a Cameron Hallenbeck N/a Craig Alpert
Gregory Plotkin
Production companies Columbia Pictures
Cinema Line Film Corporation
Screen Gems[a]
Middle Fork Productions
Stage 6 Films
Hollywood Media Bridge
Destination Films
UFO International
Canno Studio Pictures
Xiang Bros Studios
Columbia Pictures
Fully Formed Entertainment
Distributor Sony Pictures Releasing Sci Fi Syfy Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Releasing
Running time 89 minutes 97 minutes 91 minutes 89 minutes 92 minutes 84 minutes 99 minutes

Reception

Box office performance

Film U.S. release date Box office gross Budget Ref.
North America Other
territories
Worldwide
Anaconda (1997) April 11, 1997 $65,598,907 $71,400,000 $136,998,907 $45 million [10][11]
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid August 27, 2004 $32,238,923 $38,753,975 $70,992,898 $20–25 million [12][13]
Anaconda (2025) December 25, 2025 $64,465,186 $69,403,870 $133,869,056 $45 million [14][15]
Total $162,303,016 $179,557,845 $341,860,861 $110–115 million [16]

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore[17]
Anaconda (1997) 41% (56 reviews)[18] 37 (20 reviews)[19] B+
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid 26% (120 reviews)[20] 40 (28 reviews)[21] B
Anaconda 3: Offspring N/a N/a N/a
Anacondas: Trail of Blood N/a N/a N/a
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda N/a N/a N/a
Anaconda (2024) N/a N/a N/a
Anaconda (2025) 48% (154 reviews)[22] 43 (33 reviews)[23] B

Music

Soundtracks to Anaconda films
Title U.S. release date Length Composer(s) Label
Anaconda (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) April 22, 1997 33:56 Randy Edelman Edel America Records
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) August 30, 2004 60:57 Nerida Tyson-Chew Varèse Sarabande
Anaconda (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) December 25, 2025 40:48 David Fleming Madison Gate Records

Other media

Novel

Anaconda: The Writer's Cut is a novel by Hans Bauer published in 2014. Bauer also wrote the screenplay for the 1997 film Anaconda and its 2004 sequel Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.[24]

Video games

Quake Anaconda Mod (1997)

Promoting the original film's release, Sony released a free total conversion mod for Quake Mission Pack No. 1: Scourge of Armagon, which featured new snake enemies and a large Anaconda boss character.[25][26]

Anacondas Arcade Game (2004)

Anacondas Arcade Game is an online interactive game produced by Sony Studios in 2004 to promote the film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid from the same year.[27]

Anacondas 3D: Adventure Game (2004)

Anacondas 3D: Adventure Game is an online interactive game produced by Sony Studios in 2004 to promote the film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid from the same year.[28][29]

Snakes on a Babe (2008)

Snakes on a Babe is an online interactive game produced in 2008 to promote the film Anaconda 3: Offspring from the same year.[30][31]

Notes

  1. ^ Columbia Pictures' logo appears at the opening. Screen Gems served as the second film's main studio.

References

  1. ^ Prasad, Sumith (2023-10-23). "Anaconda Reboot: Plot and Character Details Revealed". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. ^ Morazzini, Jim (September 6, 2024). "Anaconda (2024) – Review". Voices from the Balcony. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  3. ^ "Anaconda: Cursed Jungle". Amazon Prime Video (US). Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  4. ^ Squires, John (2024-03-26). "'Anaconda' Trailer – Preview Brutal Chinese Remake of the 1997 American Creature Feature!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ Kit, Borys (January 24, 2020). "'Anaconda' Reboot in the Works With 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  6. ^ Kamal, Nathan (March 11, 2023). "Exclusive: Anaconda Reboot In Development From Massive Talent Director". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (August 21, 2024). "Jack Black, Paul Rudd Circling Reimagining of Horror Movie 'Anaconda'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 30, 2024). "Daniela Melchior Joins Paul Rudd And Jack Black In Sony's New 'Anaconda' Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  9. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (December 20, 2024). "Paul Rudd, Jack Black's 'Anaconda' Comedy Lands 2025 Holiday Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "Anaconda (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  11. ^ "Anaconda (1997) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on September 14, 2025. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  12. ^ "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  13. ^ "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 25, 2025. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  14. ^ "Anaconda (2025)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  15. ^ "Anaconda (2025) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 25, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  16. ^ "Box Office History for Anaconda Movies". The Numbers. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  17. ^ "Home". Cinemascore. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  18. ^ "Anaconda (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  19. ^ "Anaconda (1997)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  20. ^ "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  21. ^ "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  22. ^ "Anaconda (2025)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  23. ^ "Anaconda (2025)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  24. ^ Anaconda: The Writer's Cut - Kindle edition by Hans Bauer. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 23 January 2014.
  25. ^ "Blue's Quake News - March 29 - April 4, 1997". Blue's News.
  26. ^ "anaconda.zip - Anaconda by Magicman in the Quake map archive at Quaddicted.com". www.quaddicted.com.
  27. ^ "Play Anacondas | Play Free Addicting Games Online". www.freeaddictinggames.com.
  28. ^ "Anacondas: 3D Adventure Game FULL GAME - download". Gamepressure.com.
  29. ^ "Anacondas 3D Adventure Game. Get the software safe and easy". Software Informer.
  30. ^ "Anaconda 3 – The Offspring Presents: Snakes on a Babe". Beyond Hollywood. 2008-10-28. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  31. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original (flash) on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2016-02-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)