Back in 1985, in Kentucky of all places, a bear stumbled onto some cocaine and ate it. Wildness ensued, and we’re still kinda shocked this story isn’t more well-known, and that this is the first adaptation it’s getting, around 37 years later. Directed by Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear looks like a horror/comedy film, similar to Piranha 3D. Except this time, the cast is much better. And it includes the late Ray Liotta, in his final movie role.
Cocaine Bear release date
Cocaine Bear hits theaters on February 24. Since it’s a Universal Pictures film, there’s a strong chance it will land on Peacock (one of the best streaming services) around 1.5-2 months after its theatrical release.
Cocaine Bear trailer
The Cocaine Bear trailer shows that this movie — to borrow a Stefon line — has it all. A bear, loose in the woods who got into a brick of cocaine. And with the energy it’s gained from that brick, this bear is climbing trees. Our favorite bit in the trailer is where the bear climbs up a tree to hunt down a character who thinks he’s safe because of his elevation. The trailer ends with Isiah Whitlock Jr.’s character saying saying “Apex predator, high on cocaine, it’s out of its mind.”
Cocaine Bear cast and crew
What seperates Cocaine Bear from other wild and zany animals-gone-crazy movies is its cast. Keri Russell stars as Colette Matthews, a mother trying to find her daughter in the woods. Ray Liotta and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are criminals connected to the cocaine, and Solo’s Alden Ehrenreich is out there being weird. The rest of the announced cast includes Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Margo Martindale (Justified), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire). Yes, they got Clay Davis. We’re hoping he utters his famous and profane one-word catch-phrase (“sh*t) from the HBO series, where he draws the “i” out for as long as possible.
