Anaconda (film series)

Anaconda
Cover for the DVD box set containing the first four films
Created by	Hans Bauer Jim Cash Jack Epps Jr.
Original work	Anaconda (1997)
Owners	Sony Pictures (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Years	1997–present
Films and television
Film(s)	Anaconda (1997) Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) Anaconda (2025)
Television film(s)	Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008) Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009) Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015)

Anaconda (also known as Anacondas) is an American horror film series created by Hans Bauer, Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. Produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the series began with Anaconda (1997), directed by Luis Llosa, 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 reboot, Anaconda (2025). ^[1] 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)
Domestic releases
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	David Olson & Nicholas Davidoff		Alison Semenza
Anacondas: Trail of Blood	February 28, 2009		David Olson
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda	April 25, 2015	A.B. Stone	Berkeley Anderson		Phillip Roth & Jeffery Beach
Anaconda	December 25, 2025	Tom Gormican	Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten		Brad Fuller & Andrew Form
International release
Anaconda (China)	March 1, 2024 (China) January 23, 2025 (worldwide)	Xiang Quiliang Xiang Hesheng	Foxfoxbee		—

Anaconda (1997)

Main article: Anaconda (1997 film)

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 has seeks to capture the giant snake.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

Main article: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

A group of researchers 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 Anaconda. 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)

Main article: Anaconda 3: Offspring

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 anaconda, 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)

Main article: Anacondas: Trail of Blood

Amanda, 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)

Main article: Lake Placid vs. Anaconda

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 (2025)

Main article: Anaconda (2025 film)

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. ^[2] In March 2023, Tom Gormican was attached as the director of the film. ^[3] 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. ^[4] In September, Daniela Melchior joined the cast. ^[5] In December, it was later announced that the film will officially be releasing on December 25, 2025. ^[6]

Cast and crew

Cast

Key

• An ^A indicates an appearance through archival footage.
• A dark gray cell indicates the character was not in the film.

Character	Original series				Crossover	Reboot
	Anaconda	Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid	Anaconda 3: Offspring	Anacondas: Trail of Blood	Lake Placid vs. Anaconda	Anaconda
	1997	2004	2008	2009	2015	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
Gordon Mitchell		Morris Chestnut
Samantha "Sam" Rogers		KaDee Strickland
Dr. Jackson "Jack" Bryon		Matthew Marsden
Cole Burris		Eugene Byrd
Gail Stern		Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Trenton "Tran" Wu		Karl Yune
William "Bill" Johnson		Johnny Messner
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 Green A
Victor			Toma Danilă	Toma Danilă A
Sofia			Milhaela Oros	Milhaela Oros A
Professor Eric Kane			Şerban Celea	Şerban Celea A
Darryl			Alin Constantinescu	Alin Constantinescu A
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
Will "Tully" Tull					Corin Nemec
Reba					Yancy Butler
Jim Bickerman					Robert Englund
Bethany Tull					Skye Lourie
Sarah Murdoch					Annabel Wright
Beach					Stephen Billington
Tiffani					Laura Dale
Margo					Ali Eagle
Deputy Ferguson					Oliver Walker
Doug McCallister						Jack Black
Ronald Griffen "Griff" Jr						Paul Rudd
Santiago Braga						Selton Mello
Ana Almeida						Daniela Melchior
Claire Simons						Thandiwe Newton
Kenny Trent						Steve Zahn
Malie McCallister						Ione Skye

Crew

Role	Film
	Anaconda	Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid	Anaconda 3: Offspring	Anacondas: Trail of Blood	Lake Placid vs. Anaconda	Anaconda
	1997	2004	2008	2009	2015	2025
Composer(s)	Randy Edelman	Nerida Tyson-Chew	Peter Meisner		Claude Foisy	TBA
Cinematographer	Bill Butler	Stephen F. Windon	Don E. FauntLeRoy		Ivo Peitchev	TBA
Editor	Michael R. Miller	Marcus D'Arcy Mark Warner	Scott Conrad	—	Cameron Hallenbeck	TBA
Production companies	Columbia Pictures Cinema Line Film Corporation	Screen Gems Middle Fork Productions	Stage 6 Films Hollywood Media Bridge Castel Film Romania Really Big Snake Productions		Destination Films UFO International	Columbia Pictures Fully Formed Entertainment
Distributor	Sony Pictures Releasing		Sony Pictures Home Entertainment			Sony Pictures Releasing
Running time	89 minutes	97 minutes	91 minutes	89 minutes	92 minutes	TBA

International release

Anaconda (2024)

Anaconda (also known as Hundred Poisons Rampage ^[7] ) is a 2024 Chinese horror film, a remake of the 1997 film was released in China on March 1, 2024, and later internationally on January 23, 2025, under the title Anaconda: Cursed Jungle. ^[8] It was directed by Xiang Quiliang and Xiang Hesheng. ^[9] A group of circus performers, on their way to what they think is a new performance location, become stranded in a lush rainforest after the boat they were on, and the captain leading the way, are eaten and destroyed by an anaconda. They cross paths with a deadly poacher who is hunting the anaconda, who realizes that he might now have enough bait to catch him. But being circus performers, they have a few survival tricks up their sleeves.

Reception

Box office performance

Film	U.S. release date	Box office gross			Budget	Ref.
		North America	Other territories	Worldwide
Anaconda (1997)	April 11, 1997	$65,885,767	$71,000,000	$136,885,767	$45 million	[10]
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid	August 27, 2004	$32,238,923	$38,753,975	$70,992,898	$25 million	[11]
Total		$98,124,690	$109,753,975	$207,878,669	$70 million	[12]

Critical response

Film	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
Anaconda (1997)	41% (56 reviews) [13]	37 (20 reviews) [14]
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid	26% (121 reviews) [15]	40 (28 reviews) [16]
Anaconda 3: Offspring	—	—
Anacondas: Trail of Blood	—	—
Lake Placid vs. Anaconda	—	—

Music

Soundtracks

Title	U.S. release date	Length	Composer(s)	Label
Anaconda (1997): 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

Other media

Novelization

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. ^[17]

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. ^{[18] [19]}

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. ^[20]

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. ^{[21] [22]}

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. ^{[23] [24]}

References

1. Prasad, Sumith (2023-10-23). "Anaconda Reboot: Plot and Character Details Revealed". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
2. 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.
3. Kamal, Nathan (March 11, 2023). "Exclusive: Anaconda Reboot In Development From Massive Talent Director". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
4. Kit, Borys (August 21, 2024). "Jack Black, Paul Rudd Circling Reimagining of Horror Movie 'Anaconda'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 21, 2024.
5. 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.
6. Gajewski, Ryan (December 20, 2024). "Paul Rudd, Jack Black's 'Anaconda' Comedy Lands 2025 Holiday Release". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
7. Morazzini, Jim (September 6, 2024). "Anaconda (2024) – Review". Voices from the Balcony. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
8. "Anaconda: Cursed Jungle (US)". Amazon Prime Video . Retrieved April 14, 2025.
9. Squires, John (2024-03-26). "'Anaconda' Trailer – Preview Brutal Chinese Remake of the 1997 American Creature Feature!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
10. "Anaconda (1997)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2015-05-12.
11. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2015-05-12.
12. "Box Office History for Anaconda Movies". The Numbers . Retrieved 2015-05-12.
13. "Anaconda (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 4, 2025.
14. "Anaconda (1997)". Metacritic . Retrieved 2015-05-12.
15. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 13, 2022.
16. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid". Metacritic . Retrieved 2015-05-12.
17. Anaconda: The Writer's Cut - Kindle edition by Hans Bauer. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 23 January 2014.
18. "Blue's Quake News - March 29 - April 4, 1997". Blue's News.
19. "anaconda.zip - Anaconda by Magicman in the Quake map archive at Quaddicted.com". www.quaddicted.com.
20. "Play Anacondas | Play Free Addicting Games Online". www.freeaddictinggames.com.
21. "Anacondas: 3D Adventure Game FULL GAME - download". Gamepressure.com.
22. "Anacondas 3D Adventure Game. Get the software safe and easy". Software Informer.
23. "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.
24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original (flash) on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2016-02-21.