Elizabeth Banks Is Directing A Movie Called “Cocaine Bear”
The Hollywood Reporter says that Elizabeth Banks is directing a new movie called Cocaine Bear. The film is based on a true story from 1985, and boy, is it a doozy! A black bear stumbled upon a duffel bag filled with 70 pounds of cocaine (worth $15 million!) in Chattahoochee National Forest, Kentucky. The poor bear thought, “yummy food!”, scarfed it all down, and promptly died of an overdose. His body was found months later beside the empty bag. The drugs themselves had been dropped out of an airplane by a local smuggler/former police officer who was also killed after hitting his head while parachuting out of the plane. Nine more bags full of cocaine were recovered. I mean… wow. I know I probably just spoiled the whole movie for myself (and you!), but I’ll still watch.
Cocaine Bear will be produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller for Universal. They’re known for Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and, my personal favorite, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This will be the third feature film with Elizabeth Banks in the director’s chair. She previously directed Pitch Perfect 2 and the recent Charlie’s Angels reboot. No word on who will play the doomed drug smuggler. Or the bear.
If you’re interested in seeing the actual taxidermied body of Cocaine Bear, you can visit the Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington where he is proudly on display:
The cocaine-eating bear from The Bluegrass Conspiracy is ready to get wild at the Fun Mall. http://t.co/5ZBsFz7tUg pic.twitter.com/4JhpYewK0y
— KentuckyForKentucky (@KYforKY) August 19, 2015
If I ever find myself in Lexington, Kentucky (and crazier things have happened!), the Kentucky Fun Mall will be my very first stop. I gotta pay my respects.