Elizabeth Banks defined her next directing job – inspired by a (almost unbelievable) real story involving cocaine smuggling and a 75-pound bear.
Banks signed on to direct “Cocaine Bear”, which is described as a “character-driven thriller inspired by real events that took place in Kentucky in 1985”, produced by “The Lego Movie” filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
As such, the project also serves as a reunion for Banks, Lord and Miller after the actor voiced Wyldstyle in the animation franchise. The production banner for Lord and Miller (Lord Miller) will produce the project as part of the duo’s initial contract with Universal Pictures.
The “Cocaine Bear” script comes from Jimmy Warden, but additional information about the project is being kept under wraps.
Now, back to the bear.
According to a New York Times report published in December 1985, the bear died of an apparent cocaine overdose, found by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations in northern Georgia, “among 40 open plastic containers with traces of cocaine.”
“The cocaine was apparently dropped from a plane piloted by Andrew Thornton, a convicted drug smuggler who died on September 11 in Knoxville, Tennessee, because he carried a very heavy load while parachuting,” explains the report.
Lord Miller’s Aditya Sood brought the project to Universal and will also produce the film alongside Brian Duffield, as well as Banks and Max Handelman (who produce under his Brownstone Productions banner). Brownstone Productions previously produced the highly profitable “Pitch Perfect” franchise for Universal.
Production EVP Matt Reilly and Creative Executive Christine Sun will oversee the project on behalf of Universal.
Banks and Brownstone are represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, Relevant and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.