Elizabeth Banks to Direct Movie Based on True Story of ‘Cocaine Bear’
Twitter users are going bonkers about a legendary bear on blow.
The phrase “cocaine bear” is currently blowing up on social media—but it’s not just the name of the latest viral meme. It’s the intriguing title of an upcoming Elizabeth Banks-directed movie adaptation of a crazy real-life story.
As reported in 1985 by the New York Times, a 175-pound black bear consumed more than 70 pounds of cocaine found in a duffel bag that had been dropped from an airplane by drug smuggler Andrew Thornton. The coked-up bear was later found dead of an apparent drug overdose.
Other plot points have yet to be revealed, but shooting could begin as early as summer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. That lack of Cocaine Bear plot clarity didn’t stop cheeky Twitter users from speculating about who should be cast as a bear OD-ing on blow. John C. Reilly, who played a powder-sniffing porn star in Boogie Nights, was but one notable casting suggestion.
If y’all get John C. Reilly to play the cocaine bear I’ll score the movie for a bag of chili cheese Fritos and a Mt. Dew https://t.co/KVSE6SEPgD
— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) March 10, 2021
Honestly, after the past six months I've had, it's a little hurtful I didn't even get asked to audition for the role of Cocaine Bear.
— Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) March 9, 2021
COCAINE BEAR:
A film by Elizabeth Banks 🎥 pic.twitter.com/sVPlXefHwj
— The Astute Galoot ™️ 🏴☠️ (@TheAstuteGaloot) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/STL_JC/status/1369414867216723971
Cocaine Bear-inspired memes are also surfacing in droves:
When Hulk meets Cocaine Bear: pic.twitter.com/3p1I3S9Xaw
— Cinema Strikes Back (@cinema_strikes) March 9, 2021
Cocaine Bear https://t.co/alA68dwzve pic.twitter.com/1jyWxA2nVn
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/ItsTheBrandi/status/1369670136878297089https://twitter.com/SJWReaper/status/1369662026570731530
Cocaine Bear – dir. Elizabeth Banks 2021 pic.twitter.com/Bv1qDYtOEQ
— Zan phee (@zanPHEE) March 10, 2021
Banks last helmed 2019’s Charlie Angels reboot starring Kristen Stewart. While that movie bombed at the box office, perhaps Cocaine Bear could capitalize on its early social media buzz to become an unexpected hit.
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