Taglines: The hunters will become the hunted.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a horror-thriller set deep in a primitive Borneo jungle, where an extremely rare red orchid — the “blood orchid” — may hold the key to producing a youth-preserving serum.
In New York, the ambitious Dr. Jack Byron and his associate Gordon Mitchell present the research of his assistant Sam Rogers to the CEO and board of directors of a corporation to sponsor a scientific expedition to Borneo. The objective is to find a flower, Blood Orchid, that flourishes for a couple of weeks every seven years and could be a fountain of youth, prolonging the expectation of life of human beings.
They are succeeded and once in Borneo, they realize that it is the raining season and there is no boat available to navigate on the river. They pay US$ 50,000.00 to convince Captain Bill Johnson and his partner Tran to sail to the location. After an accident in a waterfall, the survivors realize that a pack of anacondas have gathered for mating and their nest is nearby the plantation of Blood Orchid, which made them bigger and bigger.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (also known as Anaconda 2 or Anacondas) is a 2004 adventure horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and the stand-alone sequel to the 1997 film Anaconda. It is the second installment of the Anaconda film series and the last film in the series to be released theatrically.
About the Production
Producer Verna Harrah says that she always wanted expand on the first Anaconda, on which she also served as producer. The deciding factor was the ability to tell a new story. “Originally we developed an idea about anacondas coming into the waterways of New Orleans off a boat from the Amazon. It was fun but the idea became too complicated. So we stayed with the jungle environment, but now it’s a story of pharmacologists who have discovered that there might be an orchid in Borneo that could prolong life.”
To kick off this new adventure, a group of driven New York scientists get funding from their company to travel to Borneo in search of a rare flower that blooms only two weeks every seven years. “Of course they end up running into a lot of trouble because not only is it monsoon season when they arrive, it’s also mating season for the anacondas,” says Harrah.
Director Dwight Little was attracted to the project because he’s a big fan of adventure stories, especially when the exotic and the thrilling elements intertwine. “You really can’t beat a good adventure movie and that’s what this is,” says Little. “Even without the monster or snake element, it’s still a really good story about an expedition that travels up a treacherous river in a very dangerous area. Then you add the snakes and it becomes something else again!”
Casting Anacondas
Director Dwight Little knew early on that the key to the success of ANACONDAS would lie in careful casting. “I really do believe that with any thriller or horror movie, first and foremost the audience needs to invest in the characters and identify with them,” explains Little. “Then you can begin to build the suspense. If the audience doesn’t invest in the characters, then there’s no suspense, no scares.”
Each cast member was selected for his or her talent and for what could be brought to the role. Eventually, a roster of fresh and energetic actors was assembled, with everyone prepared for the challenges of expressing character in a physically demanding film. Says Harrah, “They are all very talented and look wonderful on film. There’s a real personality that shines through individually and as an ensemble. We were incredibly fortunate to find such an amazing cast.”
Johnny Messner plays Bill Johnson, a rugged loner who lives in the jungle on his boat. For a hefty fee, he agrees to take the scientists down river even though the situation is fraught with peril. “Bill’s a mess,” admits Messner. “He’s ended up in Borneo to begin a new life but can’t escape his demons. He’s kind of a drunk, he’s a gambler and he’s in debt.
All he owns in life is his beaten-up old boat. He’s an interesting character though, because he’s not all bad. Underneath he’s got a pretty good heart – he’s just made some bad decisions in life.” Little credits Messner with making a tough role – an American exiled from his own country – not a cliché. “He’s so grounded as an actor that he kept the movie in a real place and not in a ‘movie movie’ place,” says Little.
Bill’s vulnerable side is shown through his affections for the pet monkey that lives with him on his boat. For Messner, the way a person is treated by an animal can be a great indication of character. “Kong is the only thing that Bill cares about and in turn the monkey really cares about him,” says Messner. “So that adds an interesting dimension to the character.” Working with Kong proved to be a rewarding incredible experience for the actor: “I just loved that monkey. She would climb up on my shoulder and kiss my ear, and she was just so smart. She’s a real crowd pleaser, and she brings some great moments to the movie.”
Morris Chestnut plays Gordon Mitchell, the research team’s financial guy, and a man with a constant eye on the potential wealth in the expedition. Says Morris: “Mitchell is in conflict throughout the entire movie. Although he wants to get the hell out of there and go home, he knows if they can find the orchid, his company is going to make a lot of money.
He’s the kind of guy who likes his nice suits and his shiny shoes, so when he has to chop his way a few miles through the jungle, knowing that he could end up as a meal for some type of reptile – well, he’s not a happy camper at all! It was a really fun role and I had a great time in Fiji – it’s an amazing place.”
Little found Chestnut’s charisma an invaluable part of the ensemble. “Morris really does grace the screen with a tremendous presence – he has a real star quality about him,” says the director. “When his character steps into a conference room at the beginning and says this is what he’s going to do, you really do believe him.”
British actor Matthew Marsden was chosen to be Dr. Jack Byron, the lead scientist on the team. Says Marsden, “Jack is a very good scientist – an expert in his field – but he’s the star of his own movie in his head. He’s not necessarily an egotist. He’s under a lot of pressure to find this rare orchid and get the results for his company. That makes him not exactly a bad character but certainly very driven. In the past I’ve always played the hero so this was a nice departure for me – I thought both the script and the character were really very interesting.”
After an arduous casting process to find an actor who didn’t play Jack as a straightout- of-the-box bad guy, Marsden was a breath of fresh air. “Matthew was a wonderful surprise,” says Harrah. “We were getting nervous because Dwight and I were already in Fiji and we couldn’t find the right person for the role. But Matthew brought something very sensitive to the character and gave him a lot of depth that wasn’t necessarily on the page.”
To play Gail Stern, another scientist in the expedition, the filmmakers cast Salli Richardson-Whitfield. “Gail is the head scientist at the company that’s representing the expedition, so she’s basically there to make sure that if they find anything, her company will benefit,” she explains. “Even though, as a scientist, she thinks their claims are ridiculous and that the whole expedition is a waste of time and money. Right from the beginning, you see that she’s not buying into it at all. She’s very much from a corporate world in New York and surrounds herself with comfort. So the whole idea of roughing it in Borneo is just not her thing. It was really fun to play a character like that, who’s screaming throughout the film – screaming at anything that moves!”
Richardson-Whitfield says that her favorite movies have always been those that are truly scary, so getting the chance to act in one was an opportunity she wasn’t about to pass up. She adds, “It’s a great script and if you like to be scared, then this is going to be the film for you!”
KaDee Strickland was cast as Sam Rogers, a member of the research team who is Jack Byron’s assistant. Strickland sees Sam as representing the heart of the film. “Sam is there on the team because Jack has worked with her before and trusts her. She is motivated by the love of her work and by being part of a scientific expedition, but she struggles a great deal with whom on this team is being honest and who is trying to manipulate the situation for their own gain.”
Little applauds Strickland’s ability to handle the balance in a role that requires smarts and athleticism. “She’s very physical, very earthy yet at the same time pulls off the New York debutante graduate student heart of her character,” says Little. “With the machete in one environment and the laptop in the other, she’s amazing.”
Strickland says that she grew up loving horror movies. “This is the first horror movie I’ve been involved with, and I was also really pleased to have the opportunity to spend three months in Fiji, which I loved,” she says. “What made it most enjoyable was that the cast got along so well together! We really did become great friends. When you ask people to be in a constant state of fear, which is essentially what we had to do, it can be very draining. Yet at the end of the day we always had dinner together, even though we’d been together all day long.”
Eugene Byrd plays Cole Burris, the technical expert – or “computer geek,” as he jokes – on the team. Says Eugene: “He’s the guy who likes to keep everything light. He wants to get the job done but he likes to make a few jokes and have some fun. That is until he sees his friend being eaten by some ridiculously huge snake. Then he just wants to get the hell out of there and get home.”
Byrd was given the freedom to ad-lib funny lines, which Harrah says makes him a crucial component to a movie with a mission to scare. “Eugene is our comic relief. He’s just delightful. He understood his character so well and his lines were always perfect and very funny – even when he improvised. He really is the relief in the movie and you need that in a horror film.”
Nicholas Gonzalez says his thrill-seeking character, Dr. Ben Douglas, isn’t put off by circumstances that would frighten off most people. “Ben’s the kind of character who’s along for the ride,” says Gonzalez. “They have to take a doctor and Ben is a friend of Jack Byron’s, so he’s it! He’s used to adventure so he’s not really put off by the hardships of the expedition, and when he sees the ladies, he knows he’s going to have a good time. He approaches everything with fun and good humor!”
Gonzalez also took time to enjoy his down time while in Fiji. “We did some deep sea fishing and caught enough fish to feed the cast and crew for a week!”
To play Tran, one of the locals who is a friend of Bill’s, the filmmakers cast newcomer Karl Yune. “Bill and Tran are partners because Bill relies on Tran,” explains Yune. “Tran knows the ins and outs of the town and if you need something done, you go to Tran. Both Bill and Tran live life on the edge and they’re both a little crazy. Tran doesn’t care about the scientists – all he cares about is the fact that they’re offering $50,000 to charter a boat. That’s big money, even if it is the flood season.”
Yune says he was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with director Dwight Little. “Dwight is the most laid back director you’ll ever meet. He’s a true actor’s director and he had an incredibly strong vision of the film that he wanted to make. He had a lot of actors to deal with but he made time for all of us whenever we needed it. He really listened to our ideas and was always happy to compromise. He was great and I think that I was very fortunate to work with him at this point in my career.”
Read the Full Production Notes
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
Directed by: Dwight Little
Starring: Johnny Messner, Peter Curtis, Morris Chestnut, KaDee Strickland, Eugene Byrd, Matthew Marsden, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Morris Chestnut
Screenplay by: John Claflin, Daniel Zelman, Michael Miner, Edward Neumeier
Production Design by: Bryce Perrin
Cinematography by: Stephen F. Windon
Film Editing by: Marcus D’Arcy, Mark Warner
Costume Design by: Terry Ryan
Set Decoration by: Jill Eden
Art Direction by: Brian Edmonds
Music by: Nerida Tyson-Chew
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for action violence, scary images, language.
Distributed by: Sony ScreenGems
Release Date: August 27, 2004
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