Jack Black has revealed he fell victim to a very Australian prank while shooting his latest film.
The Kung Fu Panda star, 56, has been Down Under filming a reboot of the 1997 horror movie Anaconda with Paul Rudd.
Speaking to News Corp this week to promote the film, Jack revealed that he was warned to be wary of one particular Australian critter while filming in the Gold Coast hinterland.
He said his driver, Phil, had told him to be on the lookout for drop bears, telling the star: ‘They look a bit like koalas, but they drop out of the tree and they’ll attack because they are vicious.’
‘I was like: “Oh, okay. Thanks for the heads up – I will,’ Jack said, only to be embarrassed when asking about drop bears at his accommodation on Tamborine Mountain.
‘There was a lady from the hotel and I was like: ‘So, do we have to be careful of drop bears? Because there’s some high eucalyptus trees?’’ Jack said.
Jack Black has revealed he fell victim to a very Australian prank while shooting his latest film
Speaking to News Corp this week to promote the film, Jack revealed that he was warned to be wary of one particular Australian critter – the drop bear – while filming in the Gold Coast hinterland
‘And she said: “There’s no such thing as drop bears, love, someone was pulling your leg,”‘ Jack said.
Jack added that he was quick to chastise the driver over the prank while admitting he was keen to play the trick himself on an unsuspecting Aussie tourist.
‘I was like: “You son of a b***h,”‘ he said.
‘I saw Phil the next day and said: “There’s no such thing as drop bears” and he laughed his a**e off.
‘I’m a sucker for a drop bear and I have yet to get someone back. I want to pay it forward.’
The drop bear is a mythical creature unique to Australian folklore – said to be a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala – and is commonly used to scare tourists.
The original Anaconda movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight.
The new story, which also stars Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn, involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favourite movie from their youth.
He said his driver, Phil, had told him to be on the lookout for drop bears, only to be left embarrassed when a local at his hotel told him the creature did not exist. Jack is pictured with Anaconda co-star Paul Rudd
‘I was like: “You son of a b***h.”‘ he said. ‘I saw Phil the next day and said: “There’s no such thing as drop bears” and he laughed his a**^ off. Jack is pictured with wife Tanya Haden
The film will hit Australian screens on Boxing Day.
It comes after Jack gave Australian paparazzi a taste of his Kung Fu Panda magic back in January.
Jack was enjoying his day off at a Gold Coast beach, dressed in a pair of Tenacious D ‘Satan’ print board shorts and a psychedelic tie-dye T-shirt, when a tabloid photographer approached him.
The world-famous actor took a unique approach to warding off the man and his camera – pulling a few stunt moves out of the bag from his blockbuster film franchises Jumanji and Kung Fu Panda.
In hilarious footage captured on the paparazzo’s Google glasses, Black is seen play fighting him – landing high kicks and stunt punches just inches away from his face.
As the actor danced around him, he made all of his own cartoonish sound effects for each attack.
Jack was sensationally forced to scrap his band Tenacious D’s Australian Spicy Meat Ball Tour in 2024, after bandmate Kyle Gass made an unsavoury joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
‘All future creative plans’ for the band were put on hold in July after Black said he was ‘blindsided’ by Kyle’s remarks on stage in Sydney.
But in August, he told fans not to worry: ‘I love Tenacious D… We had to take a break, but I love the D. Everybody takes a break sometimes. We’ll be back.’
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