Paul Rudd and Jack Black in talks to star in reimagining of Anaconda

Paul Rudd and Jack Black are in talks to star in a reimagining of the 1997 horror movie Anaconda.

The Ant-Man and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle stars are circling the lead roles in the reimagining, which will be directed by The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent's Tom Gormican from a script he co-wrote with Kevin Etten.

The original, starring Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Owen Wilson, and Ice Cube, followed a documentary crew who went deep into the Amazon rainforest to find the world's largest snake, the green anaconda, with fatal consequences.

The new film will not be a direct reboot. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the reimagining will revolve around a group of friends facing mid-life crises who head to the rainforest to remake their favourite movie from their youth. They find themselves in a fight for survival in a world of giant snakes, violent criminals and natural disasters.

It's not clear who Black and Rudd will play, however, the lead characters are described as a director-turned-wedding videographer and a fading actor. It is believed the film will be a more comedic take on the horror franchise.

Despite negative reviews, the original Anaconda was a box-office success and spawned a series of sequels. The last movie, 2015's Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, was a horror-comedy crossover with the crocodile franchise Lake Placid.