Cocaine Bear — releasing Friday in theatres — might not be in the same league as Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but early estimates suggest it could pave the way for more promising mid-budget movies. As per Variety, the Elizabeth Banks-directed dark comedy film is expected to rake in $15 million (about Rs. 124 crore) to $17 million (about Rs. 141 crore) at the North American box office, during its opening weekend — aiming for the second spot in the region, right behind Ant-Man 3. Produced at a $35 million (about Rs. 290 crore) budget, it will be interesting to see how things play out globally.
Evoking the sense of an absurd Cocaine Bear on their Indian channels, but there is no word on whether the film will be screened in other languages besides English. The company also put out a pixelated browser video game for the same, last week, in which you chase after civilians and pick up duffel bags of cocaine for speed boosts.
In India, the film faces tough competition on both Spider-Man: No Way Home, which pulled in Rs. 79 crore within the first three days.
One could assume the low figures partly had to do with Ant-Man and the Wasp Quanumania will retain its no. 1 spot, going into the second week as well, displaying the strongest opening in the shrinking superhero trilogy. At the time of writing, Ant-Man 3 has collected $250.1 million (about Rs. 2,072 crore) in worldwide ticket sales.
Inspired by a true event from the mid-1980s, Cocaine Bear explores the drama and fight for survival surrounding an oddball group of tourists, cops, and criminals — whose lives converge in a Georgia forest, after an American black bear unintentionally consumes a bag of cocaine and goes on a hellish rampage. While the beast was found dead in real life, Banks' comedy paints a “what if” scenario, where the bear survives and creates havoc in its path, looking for more blow. This marks the third directorial gig for actor-turned-filmmaker Banks, who made her debut with Pitch Perfect 2.
As stated before, Cocaine Bear is budgeted at $35 million, most of which goes towards Modern Family), and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas).
Cocaine Bear releases February 24 in theatres worldwide.