Elizabeth Banks has filled out her cast for Cocaine Bear.
Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Jesse Tyler Ferguson are set to star in the Universal project, which is inspired by events that took place in Kentucky in 1985.
The true story, as reported in 1985 by The New York Times, was that a 175-pound black bear consumed the contents of a duffel bag filled with more than 70 pounds of cocaine that was dropped from an airplane by local drug smuggler Andrew Thornton. The bear was later found dead from an apparent drug overdose.
Jimmy Warden wrote the script for the film, described as a character-driven thriller, which is shooting in Ireland at the end of August. The exact plot details are being kept under wraps.
Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Aditya Sood are producing for Lord Miller. Brian Duffield is also producing, alongside Banks and Max Handelman for their Brownstone Productions banner, which previously produced the Pitch Perfect franchise for Universal. Robin Fisichella will executive produce.
Russell, who will next be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s Antlers, is represented by WME, Burstein Company and Sloane Offer. Liotta, represented by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, is set for the Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. Ehrenreich is represented by CAA, Brillstein and Felker Toczek. Jackson is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham. Ferguson is represented by ICM Partners, Gartner Group Entertainment and GGSSC.
