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Cocaine Bear

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This article is about the film. For the bear upon which the film is based, see Cocaine Bear (bear).


Cocaine Bear is a 2023 American comedy horror film directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden.[6] It is loosely inspired by the true story of the "Cocaine Bear", an American black bear that ingested nearly 75 lbs. (34 kg) of lost cocaine. It stars Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta. The film is dedicated to Liotta, who died in May 2022.[7]

Cocaine Bear was theatrically released in the Mexico on March 6, 2023, and United States the March 31, 2023 by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $38 million worldwide.

Plot[]

In 1985, drug smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II drops a shipment of cocaine from his plane. He attempts to parachute out with a drug-filled duffel bag, but knocks himself unconscious on the doorframe, causing him to fall to his death. His body lands in Knoxville, Tennessee where he is identified by Bob, a local detective. He concludes that the cocaine is likely from St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White, and the remainder is missing. Meanwhile, in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, an American black bear eats some of the cocaine, becoming highly aggressive and attacking two hikers, Elsa and Olaf, killing the former.

In northeast Georgia, middle schooler Dee Dee lives with her mother, nurse Sari. Dee Dee skips school with her best friend Henry in order to paint a picture of the falls in the forest. On the trail to the falls, the pair finds a lost brick of cocaine, and ingest some before they are attacked by the bear. Sari ventures into the forest to search for the kids with park ranger Liz and Peter, a wildlife activist. The three find Henry clinging to a tree, hiding from the bear. The bear attacks, sending Peter stumbling through a pile of cocaine and slashing Liz in the process. Attracted to a cocaine-coated Peter, the bear kills him, ignoring Henry. Sari and Henry flee deeper into the forest, and Liz sends for help.

In St. Louis, Syd sends his fixer Daveed to recover the remaining cocaine. Daveed travels to Georgia with Eddie, Syd's son, who has grown depressed following the death of his wife and has abandoned his own son. They arrive in Georgia, as does Bob. At the forest station, Daveed gets into a fight with the Duchamps gang, three delinquents who cause trouble in the forest. One of the members, Stache, takes Daveed and Eddie to recover some of the cocaine he stashed in a gazebo. Liz arrives back at the station, pursued by the bear. Liz accidentally kills Ponytail, one of the Duchamps, before the bear slaughters Vest, the other one. Paramedics Beth and Tom arrive and collect Liz after a brief skirmish with the bear. They leave with Liz in an ambulance, but the bear pursues and jumps into the vehicle. In the ensuing chaos, Tom is killed by the bear, while Liz falls out of the ambulance and is crushed on the road. Beth loses control of the ambulance and crashes into a tree, causing her to fly through the windshield to her death.

Sari and Henry discover that Dee Dee left them a trail of paint, which they use to track her. Daveed and Eddie are taken to the gazebo, but find Bob there with the stashed duffel of cocaine. The bear appears but Bob distracts it with the bag of coke. Bob is suddenly shot fatally by Syd, who reveals that he is under pressure by his superiors to retrieve the cocaine.

Sari and Henry find a mourning Olaf, who leads them to Dee Dee’s hiding place: the bear's cave containing its two cubs, revealing that the bear is a mother. Olaf leaves and is killed by the bear. Syd, Eddie, and Daveed find the cave, which leads out to a ledge behind the falls. The bear returns to the cave. Sari, Henry, and Dee Dee jump into the water below to safety, followed by Eddie and Daveed - who have chosen to quit the drug business together, and they all survive. However, Syd refuses to leave the bag of cocaine found in the cave. He shoots and wounds the bear but is unsuccessful in killing it and is disemboweled by the bear and her cubs.

Later, Stache hitchhikes to New York with a duffel bag of cocaine, while Eddie, accompanied by Daveed, reunites with his son.

Cast[]


  • Keri Russell as Sari McKendry
  • O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Daveed
  • Alden Ehrenreich as Eddie White
  • Christian Convery as Henry
  • Brooklynn Kimberly Prince as Dee Dee McKendry
  • Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Detective Bob
  • Margo Martindale as Ranger Liz
  • Ray Liotta as Syd White
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Peter
  • Aaron Holliday as Stache, Duchamp Gang Member
  • J.B. Moore as Vest, Duchamp Gang Member
  • Leo Hanna as Ponytail, Duchamp Gang Member
  • Kristofer Hivju as Olaf / Kristoffer
  • Hannah Hoekstra as Elsa
  • Ayoola Smart as Officer Reba
  • Kahyun Kim as Beth
  • Scott Seiss as Tom
  • Matthew Rhys as Andrew C. Thornton II


Inspiration[]

The eponymous "cocaine bear" in Lexington, Kentucky (left) and director Elizabeth Banks

The film is loosely inspired by the events surrounding a 175-pound (79 kg) American black bear that died after ingesting a duffel bag full of cocaine in December 1985. The cocaine had been dropped out of an airplane piloted by Andrew C. Thornton II, a former narcotics officer and convicted drug smuggler, because his plane was carrying too heavy a load. Thornton then jumped out of the plane with a faulty parachute and died. The bear, who died sometime after consuming the cocaine, was found three months later in northern Georgia alongside 40 opened plastic containers of cocaine.[8][9] The bear is currently on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky,[10] which named the creature "Cocaine Bear" in 2015.[11]

Creative liberties[]

The film's plot differs from real-life events in a number of ways. Notably, the real-life Cocaine Bear is not known to have killed anyone after consuming drugs, and what transpired in the time leading up to its death from overdose is unknown.[12][13] In an interview with Variety's Adam B. Vary, Banks stated that "this movie could be seen as that bear's revenge story."[14]

Response to the film[]

Prior to the film's release, the story behind Cocaine Bear went viral on social media.[15] Yasmin Tayag of The Atlantic wrote that part of the film's popularity on social media may have been due to the appeal of man versus nature narratives or the shock value of the premise. However, she noted that the bear was also presented in a sympathetic light by the film.[16]

Production[]

In December 2019, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were announced to be producing an untitled horror comedy project inspired by the true story, and based on a spec script written by Jimmy Warden. The producers approached Radio Silence collectives Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett to direct, but both opted out of the film in favor of making the fifth Scream installment.[6]

On March 9, 2021, Universal Pictures announced that the film was in development. It was also confirmed that the film would instead be directed by Elizabeth Banks, and produced by Banks and Max Handelman for Brownstone Productions, who joined the producing team alongside Lord, Miller, Aditya Sood for Lord Miller Productions, and Brian Duffield.[17][18] The ensemble cast was revealed between July and August 2021.[19][20]

Principal photography took place in County Wicklow, Ireland, between August 20 and October 17, 2021.[21][22][23] The production budget was $30Template:Endash35 million, with a large portion of it going to Wētā FX to create the bear with CGI.[2][24]

Music[]

In February 2022, Natalie Holt was reported to compose the film score.[25] However, Mark Mothersbaugh replaced her as composer in November 2022.[26] It marks his second collaboration with Banks after Pitch Perfect 2 (2015).

The film's trailer made use of the song "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" by Melle Mel,[27] which also plays in the film's end credits.

Release[]

Cocaine Bear was theatrically released on February 24, 2023, by Universal Pictures.[28]

Reception[]

Box office[]

Template:Asof, Cocaine Bear has grossed $33.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $38.7 million.[5][4]

In the United States and Canada, Cocaine Bear was released alongside Jesus Revolution, and was initially projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,534 theaters in its opening weekend.[3] The film made $8.7 million on its first day, including $2 million from Thursday night previews.[29] It went on to debut to $23.1 million, finishing second behind holdover Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[30]

Critical response[]

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 6.1 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 261/10. On the website, the critics' consensus reads, "Despite Cocaine Bear's half-baked plot and uneven acting, the titular fur fiend's scene-snorting frenzy will give B-movie enthusiasts a contact high."[31] Using a weighted average calculator, Metacritic assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 58 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[32] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 80% positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend it.[30]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3/4 stars, describing it as a "wildly entertaining and darkly hilarious B-movie blood-fest" and "genuinely well-crafted horror."[33] In a same star review, ReelViews reviewer James Berardinelli called it a "95 minutes of escapist fare." Although he criticised the number of characters, subplots and pacing, he concluded that the film was "silly but not stupid."[34] Likewise, Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com criticised the characters but her review was also overall positive. She noted that the film was "not that profound." "But it is an incredible blast, especially if you have the benefit of seeing director Elizabeth Banks' insanely violent comedy/thriller with a packed crowd."[35] The Observer film critic Mark Kermode rated the film 3/5, saying "It may not be Grizzly Man meets Scarface, but it leaves Snakes on a Plane standing on the runway."[36]

Writing for CBC.ca, Eli Glasner found the film disappointing, writing: "Does the bear roar? Does it live up to the hype? Does it fulfil the potent promise of that amazing title? Technically yes, but there's a wide chasm between what the audience wants Cocaine Bear to be, and what it delivers."[37] In a negative review, Nicholas Barber of BBC criticised the human characters and their interactions. He wrote, "Instead of showing us the moment when the title character discovered and ingested the drugs, the film keeps introducing more and more characters who could have been in the first draft of a Coen brothers script".[38]

References[]

  1. ↑ Cocaine Bear (15).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (2023-02-24). Cocaine Bear Snorts $2M Thursday; Jesus Revolution Blessed With $3M+ In Total Previews – Box Office.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rubin, Rebecca (February 21, 2023). Box Office: ‘Cocaine Bear’ Takes on Marvel’s ’Quantumania,’ Aims for $15 Million-Plus Debut.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:Cite The Numbers
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:Cite BOM
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Anderton, Ethan (December 17, 2019). Phil Lord & Chris Miller To Produce A Bear-Driven Horror Comedy From Ready Or Not Directors.
  7. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rubin, Rebecca (May 26, 2022). "Ray Liotta Finished Filming Cocaine Bear and Apple's True-Crime Series Black Bird Before Death". Variety. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Massie, Graeme (March 10, 2021). "True story of infamous bear who consumed duffel bag of cocaine to get Hollywood treatment". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  9. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cocaine and a Dead Bear". The New York Times. December 23, 1985. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rabon, Gabrielle (April 25, 2021). "Cocaine Bear: The True Story Behind the Ultimate Party Animal". Backpacker. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Larkin, Coleman (August 19, 2015). Meet Our New Mascot: Cocaine Bear.
  12. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sands, Leo (December 1, 2022). "'Cocaine Bear' is based on a true story: Pablo Eskobear, who overdosed". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Holpuch, Amanda (December 1, 2022). "Yes, 'Cocaine Bear' Was Real. Here's the Back Story". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  14. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Vary, Adam b. (February 8, 2023). "'This Could Be a Career Ender': Elizabeth Banks Risks It All for the Gory, R-Rated 'Cocaine Bear'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sottile, Zoe (December 3, 2022). Yes, the viral 'Cocaine Bear' movie is based on a true story (kinda) (en).
  16. ↑ Tayag, Yasmin (December 5, 2022). Cocaine Bear: Why? (en).
  17. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (March 9, 2021). Elizabeth Banks To Direct Cocaine Bear Thriller For Universal, Phil Lord & Chris Miller.
  18. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Galuppo, Mia (March 9, 2021). "Elizabeth Banks to Direct Cocaine Bear Thriller for Phil Lord, Chris Miller". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  19. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 1, 2021). Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich and Jesse Tyler Ferguson To Star in Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear For Universal.
  20. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 2, 2021). Margo Martindale, Kristofer Hivju, Christian Convery, Brooklynn Prince & Others Round Out Cast Of Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear.
  21. ↑ Osterman, Kyle (August 21, 2021). Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear Set Photo Reveals Movie's Bold Logo As Filming Starts.
  22. ↑ Evans, Chris (July 1, 2021). Cocaine Bear to double Ireland for Georgia, US.
  23. ↑ Malhotra, Rahul (October 17, 2021). Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear, Story of Kentucky's Legendary Pablo EskoBear, Has Wrapped Filming.
  24. ↑ Vary, Adam B. (2023-02-08). 'This Could Be a Career Ender': Elizabeth Banks Risks It All for the Gory, R-Rated 'Cocaine Bear'. “Cocaine Bear is budgeted in the mid- to high-$30 million range, with most of the money going to Weta FX [...] to create the furry drug addict with CGI.”
  25. ↑ Natalie Holt Scoring Elizabeth Banks' Cocaine Bear (February 14, 2022).
  26. ↑ Mark Mothersbaugh Scoring Elizabeth Banks' 'Cocaine Bear' (en-US) (November 28, 2022).
  27. ↑ Rindner, Grant (November 30, 2022). The 'Cocaine Bear' Trailer Is as Insanely Fun as It Sounds (en-US).
  28. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 2, 2022). Universal's Elizabeth Banks Directed Thriller Cocaine Bear Sets Winter 2023 Release.
  29. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Moreau, Jordan (February 24, 2023). "Box Office: 'Cocaine Bear' Earns $2 Million in Previews". Variety. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 25, 2023). ‘Quantumania’ Worst Drop For A Marvel Movie, ‘Cocaine Bear’ Very High On $21M & ‘Jesus Revolution’ Praises $14M+ – Saturday Box Office (en-US).
  31. ↑ Cocaine Bear. Rotten Tomatoes.
  32. ↑ Cocaine Bear Reviews. Metacritic.
  33. ↑ Intoxicating 'Cocaine Bear' goes hilariously off the rails (en) (2023-02-23).
  34. ↑ Berardinelli, James. Cocaine Bear (en).
  35. ↑ Lemire, Christy. Cocaine Bear (en).
  36. ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kermode, Mark; critic, Observer film (February 26, 2023). "Cocaine Bear review – larky horror comedy is roaring good fun". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  37. ↑ Eli Glasner (February 24, 2023). Cocaine Bear: Killer title, but the movie kinda blows.
  38. ↑ Barber, Nicholas (23 February 2023). Cocaine Bear review: A B-movie about a drug-crazed bear (en).

External links[]

v - e - dElizabeth Banks
Filmography
Film Director Movie 43 (2013; co-directed) • Pitch Perfect 2 (2015; also produced) • Charlie's Angels (2019; also produced) • Cocaine Bear (2023; also produced)
Producer Surrogates (2009) • Pitch Perfect (2012) • Walk of Shame (2014) • Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) • The Most Hated Woman in America (2017) • Bottoms (2023) • Backrooms (2023)
Television executive produced Resident Advisors (2015) • Shrill (2019–present) • Press Your Luck (2019–present) • Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (2022; also developer) • Toon Chaos (2023)
Related articles Brownstone Productions • Pitch Perfect franchise • Max Handelman (husband)
v - e - dPhil Lord and Christopher Miller
Films directed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) • 21 Jump Street (2012) • The Lego Movie (2014) • 22 Jump Street (2014) • Tom the Hand 3 (2019) • Faster Bike (2020)
Films produced Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) • Storks (2016) • Brigsby Bear (2017) • The Lego Batman Movie (2017) • The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) (accolades) • The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) • Gwen and Dan (2019) • The JH Movie Collection Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) • Chocolate Fever (2019) • Spider-Gwen (2019) • Ghost in the Shell (2019) • Everest (2019) • Las Vegas (2020) • The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) • Cocaine Bear (2023) • Fast & Furious Spy Racers (2023) • Strays (2023) • Backrooms (2023)
Television series created Clone High (2002–2003)
Television series produced The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018) • Son of Zorn (2016–2017) • Making History (2017) • Unikitty! (2017–2020) • The JH Movie Collection Show (2018–2021) • Bless the Harts (2019–2021)
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