Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson Once Shared the Screen in a Cult Horror Classic

When most fans think of Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson as co-stars, the 2022 rom-com Marry Me usually springs to mind. But before wedding bells and chart-topping duets, the two actors found themselves in a very different kind of movie—dodging a giant snake in the 1997 creature feature Anaconda.

A Monster Movie for the Ages

Directed by Luis Llosa, Anaconda has long been remembered as one of the quintessential “so-bad-it’s-good” horror films of the late ’90s. Featuring a blend of A-list talent, campy performances, and animatronic snakes of improbable proportions, the movie became a cult classic despite (or perhaps because of) its many flaws.

The cast list was as eclectic as the film’s premise: alongside Lopez and Wilson, audiences got Ice Cube, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Trejo, and a wildly over-the-top Jon Voight as a sinister Paraguayan snake hunter whose accent defies description. But the true stars were the custom-built animatronic anacondas—25 and 40 feet long—whose glassy eyes and jerky movements were both terrifying and unintentionally hilarious.

Though critics panned it, Anaconda slithered its way to box-office success, earning $136 million worldwide and cementing its place in the canon of ’90s monster movies.

Lopez and Wilson’s First On-Screen Team-Up

For Lopez, already known for her breakout turn in Selena the same year, Anaconda was a stepping stone into Hollywood superstardom. Wilson, still in the early stages of his career, brought his quirky charm to the role of Gary Dixon, a documentary sound engineer who—spoiler alert—doesn’t make it out alive.

The film marked the first collaboration between the two actors, who wouldn’t reunite on screen until 25 years later in Marry Me. In retrospect, their shared history in a schlocky horror classic adds an unlikely but endearing footnote to both of their careers.

A Franchise with Fangs (and Flops)

Anaconda spawned a series of increasingly maligned sequels, including Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and several direct-to-video follow-ups—one of which even starred David Hasselhoff. None of the later films managed to capture the unintentional magic of the original, instead offering up diminishing returns both critically and commercially.

Still, for many horror fans who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, the original film holds a nostalgic charm. It was campy, chaotic, and entirely of its time—a perfect mix of practical effects, melodramatic acting, and absurd plot twists that made it unforgettable.

A Reboot with Jack Black and Paul Rudd

Now, nearly three decades later, Anaconda is getting the reboot treatment. Slated for release at the end of 2025, the new film will take a distinctly different approach, embracing full-blown horror-comedy from the outset. Directed and co-written by Tom Gormican—the filmmaker behind The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent—the project will star Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn.

While little is known about the plot, a playful promo featuring Black and Rudd suggests laughs will take priority over scares. Given the pedigree of the cast and Gormican’s comedic sensibilities, the reboot seems poised to parody the very tropes that made the original a cult sensation.

An Irreplaceable Classic

Whether or not the reboot delivers, the 1997 original remains an irreplaceable slice of camp cinema. Anaconda was lightning in a bottle: a modestly budgeted monster movie that exploded into a box-office hit, introduced unlikely actor pairings, and gave horror fans something gloriously weird to cheer for.

For Lopez and Wilson, it was an early and unexpected chapter in their careers. For audiences, it’s a reminder that sometimes the most bonkers projects end up leaving the deepest mark.

Would you like me to spin this article as a nostalgic retrospective (leaning into the cult status of the original) or as a forward-looking piece (framing it around the upcoming reboot and today’s audience expectations)?