Universal has released a poster for Cocaine Bear, a horror comedy by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden that is due out early next year.
Cocaine Bear, which is based on a real news story about a 175-pound black bear who ingested a bag filled with over 70 pounds of cocaine and was later found dead, takes the headline and runs with it, promising a story that mixes absurdity and humor with horror and bloodshed set in the Georgia wilderness. Cocaine Bear will be directed by Banks, known for her roles in films like The 40-year-Old Virgin and The Hunger Games. The cast includes Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, O'Shea Jackson, Scott Seiss, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and the late Ray Liotta.
The new Cocaine Bear poster from Universal Pictures depicts an angry bear raging and dusted in cocaine, with the tagline “Get in Line” and the film’s release date of February 24 printed. The top of the poster reads, “Based on a True Story,” which echoes the film’s promotional copy. "Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner's plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild thriller 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," reads the official synopsis.
Banks, who has been the directorial force behind several films like Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and the Charlie's Angels reboot (2019), will no doubt bring a great mix of comedy and horror to Cocaine Bear, which looks to have a reputable cast backing it up. Most horror films based on real stories, like 1979’s Amityville Horror and The Conjuring (2013), have been more serious and scare-driven in their focus. However, Cocaine Bear will follow in the vein of more campy made-up creature flicks like Piranha's (1979) carnivorous fish and Lake Placid's (1999) formidable gator.
If done well, horror comedy appeals to die-hard horror fans and more general audiences, reflected in the success of films like Cabin in the Woods (2012) and director Kevin Smith's Tusk (2014). This bodes well for the release of Cocaine Bear, which will no doubt draw audiences for its far-fetched plot involving a coked-up black bear and its deadly rampage, which means great jokes and a slew of bloody scenes.
Cocaine Bear is due to hit theaters on February 24, 2023.
Source: Universal Pictures