Keri Russell & Ray Liotta join Elizabeth Banks-directed Cocaine Bear

Upcoming Elizabeth Banks-directed thriller Cocaine Bear just filled out its cast with several impressive big names including The Americans star Keri Russell. The movie is based on the crazy Kentucky incident from the 1980s where a black bear was found in the wilds of Appalachia dead from a cocaine overdose.

As for how the bear managed to procure and consume the cocaine, that’s the mystery still waiting to be solved and the plot at the heart of this new film. Deadline reports that the upcoming flick from Universal Pictures has just rounded out its cast with several new additions.

Who is starring in Cocaine Bear?

Apart from Russell, the movie will also star O’Shea Jackson, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ray Liotta. Production on Banks’ second directorial feature is set to begin August 23 in Ireland.

As for who each actor will play, character details are reportedly being kept under wraps for now so we probably won’t get additional information on the story until the first promotional material releases. With production beginning soon, I would imagine that the movie will release in 2022.

Russell’s involvement in the film is particularly exciting as the actress is immensely talented. She’ll also appear in the upcoming Guillermo del Toro horror film Antlers, which was originally supposed to release in April 2020 but was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Antlers is now expected to release in October.

Jackson, Ehrenreich, and Ferguson are more known for their comedic and action roles than thrillers so it’ll be interesting to see what they bring to the table in Cocaine Bear. As for Liotta, his other notable upcoming projects include a comedy film written by and starring Charlie Day and The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark.

Are you looking forward to watching Cocaine Bear? Does this casting announcement make you more excited for the film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.