Elizabeth Banks Is Directing A Thriller Called ‘Cocaine Bear’

Elizabeth Banks is going to be a director again. After previously directing the 2019 Charlie's Angels reboot and Pitch Perfect 2, the actress has now signed on to a based-on-a-true-story thriller.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film named Cocaine Bear is based on a true story. As reported in 1985 by The New York Times, the story is that a 175-pound black bear consumed the contents of a duffle bag which was filled with more than 70 pounds of cocaine. Investigators suspected the drugs were discarded by local drug smuggler Andrew Thornton from an airplane. The bear was later found dead of an apparent drug overdose.

Thornton was a former narcotics officer, known as the leader of a Kentucky drug-trafficking ring called “The Company.” His body was found on Sept. 11, 1985, with his cause of death most likely caused by a parachuting accident, since a crashed plane was found nearby with no fatalities or survivors, Yahoo Entertainment reports.

The exact plot details for the film are being kept under wraps, but is aiming for a summer shoot date.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller are set to join Elizabeth Banks as producers of Cocaine Bear.

More on the bear that ate over 70 pounds of cocaine: