Back in late-2019, it was being reported that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were producing a feature that was described as a “bear-comedy with heart.” At the time, the filmmakers Radio Silence, who previously worked on “Ready or Not,” were attached and it seemed like a fun horror-comedy was in the works. Well, the bear-comedy with heart, now titled “Cocaine Bear,” seems to be moving forward without those filmmakers, but Lord and Miller have turned to Elizabeth Banks to bring the film to the big screen.
According to THR, Elizabeth Banks has signed on to direct, “Cocaine Bear,” for producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. As the title implies, the film is literally about a bear in the woods that eats a bunch of cocaine and dies. The film is based on a true story from a 1985 New York Times article about a 175-lb bear that dies of a drug overdose. It’s completely strange and sounds perfect for Lord and Miller. And considering Banks has really come into her own as a comedy filmmaker, she should be able to make sure the finished film is just as wacky as the true story.
“Cocaine Bear” will mark the third film for Elizabeth Banks behind the camera. Previously, she directed the features, “Pitch Perfect 2” and 2019’s “Charlie’s Angels.” And those her most recent film, ‘Angels,’ wasn’t a massive box office win for the filmmaker, Banks is clearly comfortable behind the camera for comedy films. It’s unclear how this might affect the status of her Universal feature, “The Invisible Woman,” which was reported back in November 2019, but perhaps that film has already been put back on the shelf.
“Cocaine Bear” is expected to begin filming this summer, which means a 2022 release is likely.