Cocaine Bear has to be one of the most deliriously greenlighted films of all time. It tells the story – based on an actual incident – of a bear who chances upon a few kilos of cocaine and goes on a coke-fueled rampage through the woods. Elizabeth Banks directed the feature and Keri Russell is one of the stars of the ensemble. This is actually one of the few projects Keri has done since The Americans, and as she tells the Daily Beast, she was actually looking for something a lot lighter and more fun. It was a gift to be able to do Cocaine Bear! Some highlights from the DB’s interview with Keri:
Why she agreed to ‘Cocaine Bear’: “Well, obviously, I’m always gunning for Oscar nominations, which is why I chose an award-worthy project like Cocaine Bear. I just feel like that award show needs a little spice in its repertoire. When I read it, I couldn’t believe a studio was going to make this movie. I still can’t. I feel like they might still pull it.”
Deciding that this would be her first post-pandemic film: “You know what? Screw it. I just thought it was such a crazy, let-loose departure from everything we were experiencing at that moment. And I was like, why the f–k shouldn’t we do Cocaine Bear right now? Since COVID, I haven’t really signed on to anything that intense or serious or sentimental, because I’ve been much more drawn to the light and the fun. Life is hard enough right now.”
Matthew Rhys doesn’t want to watch sad things right now: “My partner Matthew (Rhys, her former The Americans co-star), I can’t get him to even sit down and watch something with me if it’s at all somber or sad. He says, ‘No, no. No way. I can’t.’ I think my appetite for sad things and serious things is sort of full in regular life.”
Rhys read the script & he wanted a part: “Matthew read it and was like, ‘Who’s playing that guy?!’” Russell says of the character Rhys ends up playing as a cameo in the film. “He was like, ‘Text Banks and tell her I want to do that part.’”
People should go to the theater to watch Cocaine Bear: “This is not one to watch on your couch alone. This is definitely crowd-pleaser craziness. You should do what you’ve got to do: Drink your beers or do whatever it is that you’d like, and then go see it. This is that movie.”
I didn’t know Rhys has a cameo, that’s so cute. I love that they read each other’s scripts too. They’re such a cute couple. A little bit messy, but fun. Anyway, yes, I love that they made Cocaine Bear and we definitely need to get back to the place where Hollywood makes fun, dumb comedies about bears who eat cocaine. They used to make these kinds of movies all the time in the 1980s. Hell, it would have been a five-film franchise in the 1980s.
Also: Cocaine Bear has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Getty.
I love that attitude “why the f-ck not?” Movies don’t all have to be awards bait. I bet they had so much fun filming this!
I agree!! I am certainly going to watch this movie!! It looks like a perfectly executed film version of what actually happened. Plus, it has a stellar cast and Margo Martindale is one of my favorite actors!! I simply adore her!! It’s was sad to see Ray Liotta as I am still in shock that he has passed.
IRL I think the bear died pretty quickly after eating the coke.
Not minimizing his pain just saying there was no rampage.
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.
Keri and Margo Martindale are both in this! I cannot wait to see it!
Yes, an The Americans reunion! Still one of my top 5 best series ever. I’ll watch Cocaine Bear just to see the three actors.
The Americans was a fave of mine, too. So underrated!
And as an aside, Keri is a style icon of mine. And her hair! Love it.
Yes! I love both of them, and want to see it just for them.
I know at least one of my friends wants to see it, I might see if I can round up a few more.
I probably won’t go see it but I love that so many well known actors are in this film. Like I’ve said before acting is supposed to be fun and you’re expected to be silly. Why not indeed.
I’m so ready for this movie. Can’t flippin’ wait!
I don’t do heavy movies now either.
I 💯 support her take on this movie. Cocaine Bear is the post-pandemic energy we’re all surrounded by. Everything is chaos bears included.
I hope the world turns even farther on its head and she gets her Oscar nomination.
I’m a therapist and absolutely cannot handle somber, sad, dramatic movies and shows – my life is consumed by it enough that I need Dumb and Dumber caliber movies xD so YES, I will wait in line for this, I will take a day off from work, I will wrangle friends, I NEED THIS type of total ridiculous entertainment.
So glad to hear you say this. I too am a therapist and I cannot do any sad or too dramatic movies. I am going to be one of the first in line this weekend for this movie. As some one else said this reminds me of the movies in the 1980’s growing up. These were awesome cult classics. I know Elizabeth Banks has made another cult classic. I cannot wait!
I’m ready for it. And I’m ready for those shoes.
I’m seeing the movie tonight!!!
Oh my god, I love her. LOL That first answer was *chef’s kiss*
Yeah, let’s have some fun at the movies. I recently watched All Quiet on the Western Front and while it’s a good movie (I still can’t believe it’s the first German film), I was a WRECK! I immediately followed it up with some 70’s Show.
I don’t know if I’ll see this, it makes me feel like when they gave that octopus LSD somehow (Although this was the bear being mischievous, not humans dosing the bear right?)
But I think this is why I loved Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso and Bridgerton during 2020. I need some fun in these times. My husband and I are watching The Last of Us and it’s sad and stressful. I’m not sure we’ll keep watching, because although it’s really good, we have very very few hours where we watch TV and we do it together as a bonding experience. My husband prefers more light-hearted fare and I’m always wanting Oscar bait. LOL. But we do want lighter things these days. We’ve watched a bunch of marvel movies lately. And I get my angsty emotional content from books. 🙂
Can anyone ID the sunglasses she has on the header picture???
They’re gorge!!
She dresses really well. She wears her stuff; it doesn’t wear her – even those sunglasses!
They might be Saint Laurent SL M103/F sunglasses?
They have some terrific rectangular cat-eye sunnies this season.
The only true part is that the bear ate the cocaine. It died in agony with multiple horrible health effects. Won’t be watching.
I wondered about that. So sad. That poor thing. Sometimes I feel like there’s barely anywhere left for animals that humans haven’t somehow tainted.
Oh Anne thank you. I won’t watch it either. How is this story lighthearted? I can’t handle animals being hurt.
Finally some people that respect and love animals and aren’t having a blast outta a horrible incident caused, again (sigh) by humans. This story is just sad and tragic and the people that are part of this are horrible.
I’ve commented on this before — lampooning a beautiful animal that suffered and died a horrible death isn’t satire, it isn’t funny, it’s pathetic. How can anyone find such a terrible thing amusing and a great movie? So what if Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 100, it’s heart-breaking.
I enjoy Keri Russell; she’s very funny in that slightly black way in her interviews. I do believe she gets offered a lot of more stuff than we think and she’s very picky as she’s happy raising her kids in NY and set up her financial security decades back. Zori Bliss was badly written though (the whole SW reboot was bad). She (and Matthew) was great in The Americans, which is so over the top actually.
Forgot to add I’m glad the bear is 100% CGI! Forcing animals to perform is so not on!
Unfortunately the real bear wasn’t 100% CGI, it died a hideous, excruciating death so the movie world could make fun of it. SMH…
Oh, I didn’t know that the bear died; I think I assumed somehow the cocaine (note the bear had access to it due to human activity and negligence) wore off and the bear was all right. Thanks for letting me know. I won’t support this film in any way then. Huge animal lover here.