If you had “J.Lo fighting giant snakes” on your bingo card, congratulations—you just won!
Social media is currently in a meltdown over the release of the new Anaconda reboot, and it’s not just because of the comedic powerhouse duo of Jack Black and Paul Rudd. Fans are flocking to X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok to rave about a surprise ending that no one saw coming: the return of the original queen herself, Jennifer Lopez.
In the meta-reboot, Black and Rudd play childhood friends facing midlife crises who head to the Amazon to remake the original cult classic. But while the boys provide the laughs, Lopez provides the “stamp of approval” that has fans screaming.
Director Tom Gormican recently sat down with ScreenRant to dish on how he managed to snag the Golden Globe nominee for the viral moment. Naturally, J.Lo had one very important question before she signed on the dotted line.
“She immediately questioned whether the goal was ‘making fun of the original Anaconda,'” Gormican recalled. He was quick to reassure her, telling the star, “No, this is a love letter to the original Anaconda.”
Once she knew the project respected the film, Lopez was “totally in.” Gormican couldn’t hide his excitement about having her on set, noting, “She has an incredible presence. Jack and I were both like, ‘Oh God, it’s amazing to have her here.'”
But J.Lo isn’t the only ghost of Christmas past. Ice Cube also makes a cameo as himself, briefly saving the new crew after they stumble onto the set of an “official” Sony reboot. Lopez appears in the final moments, approaching the group with a meta offer to direct and star in a new installment after seeing their work.
So, is a sequel actually happening? Gormican confirmed the cameo is a “sequel system” designed to launch a follow-up—if the box office numbers hold up.
“I’d love to see it in a city, so I didn’t have to go back into the jungle,” Gormican joked about his potential plans for Anaconda . He even teased a hilarious working title: Anaconda : Sasquatch, suggesting the brand could become an anthology of different creature villains.
This marks a massive moment for Lopez’s filmography. Aside from voice work in the Ice Age sequels, this would be the first time J.Lo has ever returned to a live-action franchise she helped launch.
While the film faces stiff holiday competition from the likes of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the “Certified Fresh” energy and J.Lo’s viral endorsement might be exactly what the franchise needs to keep the scales moving.
Would you like me to track the box office numbers to see if J.Lo’s “sequel system” officially gets the green light?
