Moviegoers in Dhaka are set for a contrasting cinematic experience this Christmas, as two very different Hollywood releases arrive at Star Cineplex on December 25. One promises jungle-bound thrills with a deadly giant snake, while the other delivers a colourful underwater adventure led by an animated favourite.
The Anaconda franchise, which began in 1997 and became synonymous with large-scale snake horror, is returning with a new film titled Anaconda, releasing internationally on December 25. The original film, directed by Luis Llosa and starring Jennifer Lopez, enjoyed notable box office success and spawned several sequels, including Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004), followed by later direct-to-video releases.
Sony Pictures announced a reboot in January 2020, resulting in an action-comedy meta-reboot rather than a straightforward remake. Directed by Tom Gormican, the new Anaconda stars Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello.
Unlike its predecessors, the film adopts a self-aware tone. The story follows Doug and Griff, two men grappling with midlife crises, who decide to remake their childhood favourite film Anaconda. Travelling to the Amazon jungle to shoot a low-budget movie, their light-hearted plan quickly descends into danger when extreme conditions and a real, massive anaconda threaten their survival. What begins as nostalgia-fuelled fun soon turns into a fight for life.
The film has already premiered to mixed early reactions, with many describing it as a light, entertaining popcorn movie. Viewers have particularly praised the chemistry between Jack Black and Paul Rudd, along with the screenplay’s self-referential humour.
On a lighter note, animation fans can also catch The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, the fourth theatrical film based on the globally popular SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, following 2020’s Sponge on the Run. The film sees SpongeBob embarking on a deep-sea and outer-space journey to find his beloved pet snail, Gary, while confronting the ghost pirate Flying Dutchman alongside his best friend, Patrick Star.
Released on December 19, the film has received encouraging responses. It opened in 3,557 theatres across the United States and Canada, earning $5.6 million on its first day. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87 percent approval rating from 39 critics, with an average score of 6.7 out of 10.
With a lethal jungle thriller and a whimsical animated adventure arriving together, this Christmas offers Dhaka audiences two sharply different cinematic escapes under one roof.
