On December 22, 1985, The Associated Press reported the following from Blue Ridge, Georgia: “Investigators searching for cocaine dropped by an airborne smuggler have found a ripped-up shipment of the sweet-smelling powder and the remains of a bear that apparently died of a multimillion-dollar high.”
The narrative is over the top in many respects. Too ridiculous. Too ’80s
A depressing sight was discovered by the police. A duffel bag containing around $2 million worth of cocaine that had been opened and spread out across a hillside was found next to a dead 175-pound black bear. The parachutist, a former Kentucky drug investigator, died after collapsing in a Knoxville, Tennessee, garden. His unmanned aircraft lost control and hit a mountain in North Carolina. Examiners determined that the bear overdosed back in Georgia.
When producer Phil Lord and director Christopher Miller received the script Cocaine Bear from screenwriter Jimmy Warden. They agreed from the first page.
“When the movie’s pitched, you hear the word ‘Cocaine,’ you’re like I’m not sure what to think of this,” Lord says. “Then when you hear the word ‘Bear,’ you’re like: I’m all in.”
Watch the Cocaine Bear trailer
Public’s interest in movies has rarely been piqued as Cocaine Bear has
Yes, Cocaine Bear is a genuine film, indeed. And once it debuts on Friday in theatres, it could even be a success. Since its first release, the trailer for Elizabeth Banks’ R-rated comedy, which is largely based on a true tale, has sparked a ravenous zeitgeist. The creators of Cocaine Bear believe it can be an unbridled exception in a time when much of Hollywood may feel pre-packaged. (https://experience.afrotech.com/)
“Hopefully the film lives up to the title,” Banks says, smiling. “That was the goal.”
The public’s interest in movies has rarely been piqued as Cocaine Bear has. Over 25 million people have seen the teaser, which quickly went viral. The film itself is like a meme that has come to life; it combines elements of Snakes on a Plane with a Paddington Bear fever dream. It moves forward with a can you believe this is a genuine movie wink and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. One of the official tweets for the movie states, “I’m the bear that ate cocaine.” This is my tale.
Cocaine Bear is coming to deal a blow to Hollywood’s “business as usual,” since the majority of studio films are driven by well-known intellectual property and few creative comedies succeed in drawing crowds to theatres. To be fearless, Cocaine Bear is here. Cocaine Bear is here to party.
