Elizabeth Banks Will Direct Bear-Themed Thriller Cocaine Bear

An upcoming film called Cocaine Bear has captured the internet's attention, despite a general lack of info about the project. What we do know is that it'll be directed by Elizabeth Banks, produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and that it's based on a true story reported by the New York Times in 1985 as "Cocaine and a Dead Bear."

The film is being made for Universal, THR reports, based on an original script written by Jimmy Warden, who was recently credited as a writer on Netflix's horror comedy The Babysitter: Killer Queen.

Few details about Cocaine Bear's story have been released, other than the fact that it's based on a true story that took place in 1985. As reported by the New York Times, a 175 pound black bear was found dead near the Tennessee-Georgia state line after apparently consuming over 70 pounds of cocaine that had been dropped from a plane by a local drug smuggler. The smuggler, Andrew Thornton, also met a bad end in Nashville, Tennessee after trying to carry too heavy a load while parachuting.

Elizabeth Banks now has a few films under her belt as a director, including Pitch Perfect 2 and the recent Charlie's Angels reboot. Banks also had roles in front of the camera in both films, meaning we may also see her on screen in Cocaine Bear.

The film is variously being described as a horror comedy or a thriller, but either way we're excited to see how this wild true story will be adapted for the screen.