Director Elizabeth Banks’ “character-driven thriller” Cocaine Bear (read our review HERE, get a copy at THIS LINK) wasn’t exactly a blockbuster – it earned $89 million at the worldwide box office on a budget in the range of 30 to 35 million – but it did get a lot of positive attention when it was released. And I thought it was a blast to watch. So I welcome a Cocaine Bear 2… and during an interview with Rolling Stone, Banks said she would also welcome it.
When asked about the possibility of working on a sequel, Banks told Rolling Stone, “I had an absolutely great time working on the (first movie). I loved how subversive, crazy, silly, and funny it was. I loved surprising people with the cast. I don’t think anybody was expecting Margo Martindale, who’s 70 years old, to shoot that kid. We had a lot fun, and if I got the opportunity to surprise the audience and delight myself again, I would take it. … I’ve been very fortunate to work across a lot of genres and things that appeal to me. Cocaine Bear also came to me during the pandemic. We were all locked away, and I loved the sense of fun inside of it. It was what I wanted to see. And it had this message about mankind’s culpability in nature’s demise. It spoke to me on a lot of levels.“
Cocaine Bear is based on true events that took place in Kentucky in 1985. As our own Kevin Fraser reported, the true story goes like this: “In 1985, convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton was on a smuggling run from Columbia and had dumped several packages full of cocaine before bailing from the plane himself. Unfortunately, he hit his head on the tail of the aircraft and wound up in a freefall to the ground where he was found dead in someone’s driveway. Several months later, a 175-pound black bear was found dead after devouring approximately $15 million worth of cocaine that had been dropped by Thornton. “Its stomach was literally packed to the brim with cocaine,” the medical examiner who’d performed the bear’s necropsy said. “There isn’t a mammal on the planet that could survive that. Cerebral hemorrhaging, respiratory failure, hyperthermia, renal failure, heart failure, stroke. You name it, that bear had it.”
Scripted by Jimmy Warden, the cinematic take on the concept finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow… and blood.
The film stars Keri Russell (Antlers), Margo Martindale (The Americans), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Kahyun Kim (American Gods), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project), and newcomer Scott Seiss.
Cocaine Bear was produced by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood of Lord Miller, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman of Brownstone Productions, and Brian Duffield. Robin Fisichella and Nikki Baida serve as executive producers.
While we wait to see if Elizabeth Banks will ever have the chance to make Cocaine Bear 2, screenwriter Jimmy Warden has been busy plotting a Magic 8 Ball movie for Mattel Films.
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