Screen Rant is pleased to present an exclusive first-look image from Cocaine Bear, an upcoming action comedy that arrives on February 24, 2023. Directed and produced by Elizabeth Banks (who brought fans the delightful Pitch Perfect franchise in addition to her many memorable onscreen performances), Cocaine Bear has a very unlikely and fascinating origin story. In 1985, a drug lord's attempted airdrop went awry and accidentally led to one bear ingesting 75 lbs. of cocaine.
The true story behind Cocaine Bear is not nearly as fun as the film itself promises to me, for while a manhunt did ensue for the lost shipment, the poor bear passed away from a drug overdose before engaging in wild behavior of any kind. But screenwriter Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen) and Banks have taken the impossible-to-believe premise and run with it in Cocaine Bear, depicting a drug-fueled rampage that offers plenty of screams and laughs alike. The film is filled to the brim with stars, but everyone's fate is up in the air when faced with the cocaine-fueled apex predator in front of them.
What To Expect From Cocaine Bear
As part of Screen Rant's Winter Movie Preview, the exclusive first-look image from Cocaine Bear showcases one such star being hunted down by the titular bear. His face is full of fear, though he is too far to see clearly, and he has clearly put all his energy into getting away. The bear is looking up, however, and it seems the poor man will not be able to escape. Others certain to be caught in his crosshairs include cast members Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and more.
The trailer for Cocaine Bear provides a glimpse of some of the comedy-tinted carnage, opening with the bear in the throes of his drug-fueled adventure and pouncing on two officers called to the scene. As news of the missing cocaine spreads, several groups are after goods before bearing witness to the wild beast ingesting several pounds himself. After that, it becomes a terrifying chase in which many a man does their best to outrun and outsmart the overpowered and uncontrollable bear.
While she is most known for straightforward comedy before Cocaine Bear, Elizabeth Banks has worked on her fair share of action from behind the camera and in front of the screen. She captivated audiences as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games series and even played a gender-swapped Bosley (known as Boz) in 2019's Charlie's Angels, which she also directed. Just like the cocaine-fueled bear itself, fans never know which direction she will take with her next project, but waiting to find out is half the fun.
Cocaine Bear arrives in theaters on February 24.