Elizabeth Banks is moving on from ass-kicking Angels to a headline-making black bear. The “Charlie’s Angels” helmer is set to direct “Cocaine Bear” for Universal, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The thriller is based on a true story.
Inspired by events that took place in Kentucky in 1985, “Cocaine Bear” tells the story of “a 175-pound black bear [that] consumed the contents of a duffle bag filled with more than 70 pounds of cocaine that was dropped from an airplane by a local drug smuggler, Andrew Thornton. The bear was later found dead of an apparent drug overdose.”
The pic is expected to shoot this summer.
A three-time Emmy-nominated actor, Banks made her feature directorial debut with 2015 box office hit “Pitch Perfect 2” and followed it up with a 2019 “Charlie’s Angels” reboot led by Kristen Stewart.
Banks was last seen alongside Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, and Uzo Aduba in FX on Hulu’s “Mrs. America,” a limited series about the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Her other on-screen credits include the “Hunger Games” and “Pitch Perfect” franchises and “30 Rock.”
Back in 2019 Banks signed on to topline and direct “The Invisible Woman” for Universal. The original take on the story is described as “‘Thelma & Louise’ meets ‘American Psycho.’”
