FEBRUARY 2024:
![Directed by Elizabeth Banks, written by Jimmy Warden, and produced by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, and Brian Duffield. Starring Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta, Cinematography by John Guleserian, Edited by Joel Negron, Music by Mark Mothersbaugh. Production companies: Lord Miller Productions, Brownstone Productions, Jurassic Party Productions. Distributed by Universal Pictures. (2023)](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cocaine-Bear.jpeg?resize=525%2C768&ssl=1)
The Bear Drug Necessities…
The title alone is intriguing, Cocaine Bear, you hear it and already you know there is a story there, and it can only be wild enough for a Hollywood film. There is absolutely no way the story is inspired by actual events, you would be wrong if you thought that however, because there is in fact a Cocaine Bear. But that story will come later, this critique focuses on the film inspired by the events of December 1985. Cocaine Bear is a 2023 comedy horror film directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden. It is loosely inspired by the true story of the “Cocaine Bear“, an American black bear that ingested several kilograms of a bag containing about 75 lb. (34 kg.) of lost cocaine. The film stars Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ray Liotta. It is dedicated to Liotta, who died in May 26th, 2022.
![Directed by Elizabeth Banks, written by Jimmy Warden, and produced by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, and Brian Duffield. Starring Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta, Cinematography by John Guleserian, Edited by Joel Negron, Music by Mark Mothersbaugh. Production companies: Lord Miller Productions, Brownstone Productions, Jurassic Party Productions. Distributed by Universal Pictures. (2023)](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Title-Card-1024x442.png?ssl=1)
![Elizabeth Banks in a profile piece on directing for Variety Magazine in 2023. Photo Credit: Variety Magazine](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Elizabeth-Banks-Variety--1024x576.webp?ssl=1)
![Jimmy Warden attends the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures' "Cocaine Bear" at Regal LA Live on February 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kayla Oaddams/WireImage](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jimmy-Warden-.jpeg?ssl=1)
![Cocaine Bear, also known as Pablo Eskobear (sometimes spelled Escobear) or Cokey the Bear, was a 175-pound (79-kilogram) American black bear that fatally overdosed on cocaine in 1985. The cocaine had been dropped by a group of Colombian drug smugglers in the wilderness in Tennessee, United States. The bear was found dead in northern Georgia and was stuffed and displayed at a mall in Kentucky. It inspired the 2023 comedy thriller film Cocaine Bear, as well as the 2023 documentary film Cocaine Bear: The True Story.](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-1024x576.webp?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/American-Black-Bear-Cociane-Bear-1024x485.png?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cociane-Bear-Cocaine-1024x469.png?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Ingests-Cocaine-1024x486.png?ssl=1)
![Cocaine (from French: cocaïne, from Spanish: coca, ultimately from Quechua: kúka) is a tropane alkaloid that acts as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. As an extract, it is mainly used recreationally, and often illegally for its euphoric and rewarding effects. It is also used in medicine by Indigenous South Americans for various purposes and rarely, but more formally, as a local anaesthetic or diagnostic tool by medical practitioners in more developed countries. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South America: Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. After extraction from the plant, and further processing into cocaine hydrochloride (powdered cocaine), the drug is administered by being either snorted, applied topically to the mouth, or dissolved and injected into a vein. It can also then be turned into free base form (typically crack cocaine), in which it can be heated until sublimated and then the vapours can be inhaled.](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-.jpeg?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Kari-Russell-Cocaine-Bear-1024x577.webp?ssl=1)
![O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/OShea-Jackson-Jr-1024x604.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Christian-Convery-1024x554.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alden-Ehrenreich-1024x661.png?ssl=1)
![Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Brooklynn-Prince-1024x701.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Isiah-Whitlock-Jr-1024x689.png?ssl=1)
![Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jesse-Tyler-Ferguson-1024x560.png?ssl=1)
![Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Margo-Martindale-1024x426.png?ssl=1)
![Ray Liotta in a scene from 'Cocaine Bear' (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ray-Liotta-in-Cocaine-Bear-2023-1024x682.webp?ssl=1)
![Ray Liotta is posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 24, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Photo Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Rays-star-and-picture.jpeg?ssl=1)
Cocaine Bear was released in the United States on February 24, 2023, by Universal Pictures. The film opened to generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $90 million against a production budget of $30–35 million.
![Signage at the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures' "Cocaine Bear" at Regal LA Live on February 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Araya Doheny/FilmMagic](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Premiere.jpeg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
Cast…
![(L-R) Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Brian Duffield, Aditya Sood, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Keri Russell, Brooklynn Prince, Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jimmy Warden, Aaron Holliday and Kahyun Kim attend the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures' "Cocaine Bear" at Regal LA Live on February 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Cast.jpeg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
Keri Russell as Sari:
![Keri Russell in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Keri-Russell-2.png?resize=525%2C334&ssl=1)
Sari ventures into the forest to search for her daughter, She is accompanied by Liz, a park ranger, and Peter, a wildlife activist. They find Henry clinging to a tree, hiding from the bear. It attacks, sending Peter stumbling through a pile of cocaine and slashing Liz in the process. The bear tries to climb the tree to attack Henry but gets attracted to a cocaine-coated Peter.
![Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.06.40%E2%80%AFAM-1024x578.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.11.22%E2%80%AFAM-1024x686.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Henry-.jpeg?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.13.45%E2%80%AFAM-1024x481.png?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.15.52%E2%80%AFAM-1024x496.png?ssl=1)
Alden Ehrenreich as Eddie
![Alden Ehrenreich in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Aldin-Enrich-2.png?resize=525%2C330&ssl=1)
In St. Louis, Syd sends his fixer Daveed to recover the missing cocaine. So, he travels to Georgia with Eddie, Syd’s son, who has grown depressed following the death of his wife Joan and has abandoned his own son Gabe.
![Ray Liotta in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.29.46%E2%80%AFAM-1024x534.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.30.57%E2%80%AFAM-1024x703.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alden-Ehrenreich-1024x661.png?ssl=1)
O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Daveed
![O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.41.03 AM.png?resize=525%2C321&ssl=1)
At the forest station, Daveed gets into a fight with the Duchamps gang, three delinquents who cause trouble in the forest. After he beats them, one of the members, Stache, agrees to take Daveed and Eddie to recover some of the cocaine he stashed in a gazebo.
![O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.44.19%E2%80%AFAM-1024x596.png?ssl=1)
![O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.50.02%E2%80%AFAM-1024x497.png?ssl=1)
![Aaron Holliday, O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.44.45%E2%80%AFAM-1024x539.png?ssl=1)
![A in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.45.09%E2%80%AFAM-1024x615.png?ssl=1)
Ray Liotta as Syd
![Ray Liotta in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.57.04 AM.png?resize=525%2C321&ssl=1)
The cocaine at the center of the film and obsession of a bear is from St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White.
![Alden Ehrenreich, and Ray Liotta in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.57.19%E2%80%AFAM-1024x437.png?ssl=1)
![Ray Liotta in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.57.55%E2%80%AFAM-1024x606.png?ssl=1)
![Ray Liotta in a scene from 'Cocaine Bear' (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ray-Liotta-in-Cocaine-Bear-2023-1024x682.webp?ssl=1)
Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Bob
![Isiah Whitlock Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Isiah-Whitlock-Jr.png?resize=525%2C353&ssl=1)
When Andrew Thornton II‘s body lands in Knoxville, Tennessee, he is identified by Bob, a local detective. He concludes that the cocaine is likely from St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White, and the remainder is missing. Bob goes in search of the cocaine all the way to northeast Georgia.
![In 1985, drug smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II drops a shipment of cocaine from his plane. He attempts to parachute out with a drug-filled duffel bag, but knocks himself unconscious on the doorframe, causing him to fall to his death. His body lands in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is identified by Bob, a local detective. He concludes that the cocaine is likely from St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White, and the remainder is missing. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Andrew-Thorton-II-Dead--1024x795.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.00.10%E2%80%AFPM-1024x476.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.01.20%E2%80%AFPM-1024x470.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.00.33%E2%80%AFPM-1024x514.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, and Aaron Holliday in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.01.39%E2%80%AFPM-1024x472.png?ssl=1)
Brooklynn Prince as Dee Dee
![Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.16.17 PM.png?resize=525%2C314&ssl=1)
In northeast Georgia, middle schooler Dee Dee lives with her mother, Sari. Dee Dee skips school with her best friend Henry in order to paint a picture of the falls in the forest. On the trail to the falls, they find a lost brick of cocaine and ingest some before they are attacked by the bear.
![Brooklynn Prince, and Keri Russell in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.12.40%E2%80%AFPM-1024x726.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery, and Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.13.00%E2%80%AFPM-1024x492.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery, and Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.13.18%E2%80%AFPM-1024x582.png?ssl=1)
![Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.13.26%E2%80%AFPM-1024x582.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, Christian Convery, and Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.14.02%E2%80%AFPM-1024x677.png?ssl=1)
Christian Convery as Henry
![Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.27.41 PM.png?resize=525%2C333&ssl=1)
Henry accompanies his best friend Dee Dee as they skip school to head to the forest where Dee Dee can paint the scenery, only a drug crazed bear is sharing the forest with them, and wants the cocaine they find along the way.
![Christian Convery, and Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.28.21%E2%80%AFPM-1024x514.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Christian-Convery-1024x554.png?ssl=1)
![Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.27.53%E2%80%AFPM-1024x470.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, and Christian Convery in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.28.29%E2%80%AFPM-1024x622.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, Christian Convery, and Brooklynn Prince in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.28.10%E2%80%AFPM-1024x798.png?ssl=1)
Margo Martindale as Ranger Liz
![Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.35.20 PM.png?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
Liz arrives back at the station, pursued by the bear, after accompanying Sari to find her daughter Dee Dee in the forest when the bear follows her back.
![Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.35.29%E2%80%AFPM-1024x705.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.35.55%E2%80%AFPM-1024x736.png?ssl=1)
![Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.35.40%E2%80%AFPM-1024x666.png?ssl=1)
![Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.36.03%E2%80%AFPM-1024x654.png?ssl=1)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Peter
![Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jesse-Tyler-Ferguson.png?resize=525%2C287&ssl=1)
Peter is a wildlife activist that park ranger Liz is attracted to who is often at the ranger station where they have developed a friendly relationship. He is present when Sari comes looking for her daughter and seeks help in the forest to find Dee Dee and Henry.
![Margo Martindale, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.13.13%E2%80%AFPM-1024x418.png?ssl=1)
![Keri Russell in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Keri-Russell-2-1024x651.png?ssl=1)
Kristofer Hivju as Olaf
![Kristofer Hivju as Olaf in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.23.01 PM.png?resize=525%2C263&ssl=1)
Meanwhile, in the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest, an American black bear eats some of the cocaine. Becoming highly aggressive, it attacks hikers, Elsa and Olaf.
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Ingests-Cocaine-1024x486.png?ssl=1)
![Kristofer Hivju as Olaf in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.22.23%E2%80%AFPM-1024x475.png?ssl=1)
![Kristofer Hivju, and Hannah Hoekstra in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.22.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x680.png?ssl=1)
![Kristofer Hivju as Olaf in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.22.49%E2%80%AFPM-1024x511.png?ssl=1)
Hannah Hoekstra as Elsa
![Hannah Hoekstra in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.34.04 PM.png?resize=525%2C311&ssl=1)
Elsa is along with Olaf as they are hiking in the forest when the American black bear comes along raging from eating a brick of cocaine and attacks Olaf and Elsa.
![Kristofer Hivju, and Hannah Hoekstra in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.33.55%E2%80%AFPM-1024x442.png?ssl=1)
![Kristofer Hivju, and Hannah Hoekstra in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.22.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x680.png?ssl=1)
![Kristofer Hivju, and Hannah Hoekstra in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.33.48%E2%80%AFPM-1024x425.png?ssl=1)
Ayoola Smart as Officer Reba
![Ayoola Smart in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-6.48.07 PM.png?resize=525%2C319&ssl=1)
Officer Reba works with Bob and was present when the detective made the connection to Andrew Thorton II and St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White. Who she is working for and what her motives are, aren’t clear, since she arrives in the forest the same time as Syd White.
![Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Ayoola Smart in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-3.00.10%E2%80%AFPM-1024x476.png?ssl=1)
![Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Ayoola Smart in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Officer-Reba-1-1024x512.jpeg?ssl=1)
![O'Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Ayoola Smart, and Ray Liotta in a scene from 'Cocaine Bear' (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.27.56%E2%80%AFPM-1024x667.png?ssl=1)
![O'Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Ayoola Smart, and Ray Liotta in a scene from 'Cocaine Bear' (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ray-Liotta-in-Cocaine-Bear-2023-1024x682.webp?ssl=1)
Aaron Holliday as Stache
![Aaron Holliday in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.33.01 PM.png?resize=525%2C362&ssl=1)
After Daveed beats them, one of the gang members, Stache, agrees to take Daveed and Eddie to recover some of the cocaine he stashed in a gazebo.
![Aaron Holliday, O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.44.45%E2%80%AFAM-1024x539.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich, Aaron Holliday, O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.33.21%E2%80%AFPM-1024x468.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich, Aaron Holliday, O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.33.33%E2%80%AFAM-1024x692.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich, in Aaron Holliday in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.33.31%E2%80%AFPM-1024x469.png?ssl=1)
![A in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-2.45.09%E2%80%AFAM-1024x615.png?ssl=1)
![Alden Ehrenreich, and Aaron Holliday in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.33.40%E2%80%AFPM-1024x475.png?ssl=1)
J.B. Moore as Vest
![J.B. Moore in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.45.06 PM.png?resize=525%2C296&ssl=1)
Vest is with the Duchamps gang, three delinquents who cause trouble in the forest, until a rage filled coked out bear decides ro cause some trouble of his own with the Duchamps gang.
![J.B. Moore, and Margo Martindale in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.45.16%E2%80%AFPM-1024x564.png?ssl=1)
![O'Shea Jackson Jr., and J.B. Moore in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.45.33%E2%80%AFPM-1024x493.png?ssl=1)
![J.B. Moore, Aaron Holliday, and Leo Hanna in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.45.42%E2%80%AFPM-1024x448.png?ssl=1)
![J.B. Moore in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.45.24%E2%80%AFPM-1024x470.png?ssl=1)
Scott Seiss as Tom
![Scott Seiss in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.57.25 PM.png?resize=525%2C291&ssl=1)
Tom is a paramedic that shows up to see about park ranger Liz and her injuries from the bear attacking, but had no idea what he was walking into in the ranger station and soon met the cocaine bear.
![Scott Seiss in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.57.49%E2%80%AFPM-1024x488.png?ssl=1)
![Scott Seiss in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.57.33%E2%80%AFPM-1024x510.png?ssl=1)
![Scott Seiss in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.57.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x424.png?ssl=1)
Matthew Rhys as Andrew Thornton
![Matthew Rhys in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-29-at-12.05.02 AM.png?resize=525%2C247&ssl=1)
At the end, we come to the beginning, where it all starts. Andrew Thornton II throws a bag of cocaine out of his plane due to being over weight, then tries to jump out, but his parachute fails and he falls to his death in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Allan Henry as Bear Performer
![Allan Henry in a scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-29-at-12.08.10 AM.png?resize=525%2C314&ssl=1)
Allan Henry, a stunt performer and actor, played the role of the bear and is credited as “Bear Performer”. He used custom-made, meter-long aluminum limb extensions to portray the bear’s movements. While playing the bear, Henry did not have tracking markers on his face for animators to turn into digital muscle movements but provided a crucial reference point for the animators to create the bear’s physicality and emotional state.
The film is loosely inspired by the events surrounding a 175-pound (79 kg) American black bear that died after ingesting a duffel bag full of cocaine in December 1985. The cocaine had been dropped out of an airplane piloted by Andrew C. Thornton II, a former narcotics officer and convicted drug smuggler, because his plane was carrying too heavy a load. Thornton then jumped out of the plane with a faulty parachute and died. The bear, who died sometime after consuming the cocaine, was found three months later in northern Georgia alongside 40 opened plastic containers of cocaine. The bear is currently on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, which named the creature “Cocaine Bear” in 2015.
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/American-Black-Bear-Cociane-Bear-1024x485.png?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cociane-Bear-Cocaine-1024x469.png?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Ingests-Cocaine-1024x486.png?ssl=1)
![Andrew Carter Thornton II (October 30, 1944 – September 11, 1985) was an American narcotics officer and lawyer who became the head member of "The Company", a drug smuggling ring in Kentucky. Bags of cocaine having been from his go bag when parachuting out were later found next to a dead bear in Georgia and linked to Thornton. The autposy of the dead black bear revealed a cocaine overdose.](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Andrew-Carter-Thornton-II.jpeg?ssl=1)
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Plane-Scene-1024x539.png?ssl=1)
![In 1985, drug smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II drops a shipment of cocaine from his plane. He attempts to parachute out with a drug-filled duffel bag, but knocks himself unconscious on the doorframe, causing him to fall to his death. His body lands in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is identified by Bob, a local detective. He concludes that the cocaine is likely from St. Louis drug kingpin Syd White, and the remainder is missing. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Andrew-Thorton-II-Dead--1024x795.png?ssl=1)
![Cocaine Bear, also known as Pablo Eskobear (sometimes spelled Escobear) or Cokey the Bear, was a 175-pound (79-kilogram) American black bear that fatally overdosed on cocaine in 1985. The cocaine had been dropped by a group of Colombian drug smugglers in the wilderness in Tennessee, United States. The bear was found dead in northern Georgia and was stuffed and displayed at a mall in Kentucky. It inspired the 2023 comedy thriller film Cocaine Bear, as well as the 2023 documentary film Cocaine Bear: The True Story.](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cociane-Bear--768x1024.jpeg?ssl=1)
![The story on the "Cocaine Bear" after he was found in northern Georgia with 40 bags of Cocaine. Photo Credit: Lexington-Harald Leader](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/bear-georgia-.jpeg?ssl=1)
Creative liberties
The film’s plot differs from real-life events in a number of ways. Notably, the real-life Cocaine Bear is not known to have killed anyone after consuming drugs, and what transpired in the time leading up to its death from overdose is unknown. In an interview with Variety‘s Adam B. Vary, Banks stated that “this movie could be seen as that bear’s revenge story.”
![A scene from "Cocaine Bear" (2023) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Kill-1024x479.png?ssl=1)
![Entertainment Weekly's Adam B. Vary poses for a photo in the Green Room for the "A Conversation with Joss Whedon" Panel at the Austin Convention Center on March 10, 2012 in Austin, Texas. Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SXSW](https://i2.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Adam-B.-Vary-.jpeg?ssl=1)
![Elizabeth Banks in a profile piece on directing for Variety Magazine in 2023. Photo Credit: Variety Magazine](https://i1.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Variety-Elizabeth-Banks-.webp?ssl=1)
Cocaine Bear grossed $64.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $25.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $90 million.
![Directed by Elizabeth Banks, written by Jimmy Warden, and produced by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, and Brian Duffield. Starring Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta, Cinematography by John Guleserian, Edited by Joel Negron, Music by Mark Mothersbaugh. Production companies: Lord Miller Productions, Brownstone Productions, Jurassic Party Productions. Distributed by Universal Pictures. (2023)e](https://i0.wp.com/moviestohistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cocaine-Bear-Header-.png?resize=525%2C353&ssl=1)
Cocaine Bear is available now to rent on Amazon Prime Video…
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