Elizabeth Banks welcomes Scott Seiss, the famous TikTok comedian, to the cast of Cocaine Bear. After helming Pitch Perfect 2 and Charlie’s Angels (2019), both of which garnered tepid responses from critics, the bear-centric thriller will be Banks’ third feature as director and is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing films of next year. Cocaine Bear is produced by the well-known duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller, whom Banks previously collaborated with on The Lego Movie franchise.
Though no specific plot details have been released, Cocaine Bear is based on an unbelievable true story that unfolded in 1985 and was reported by The New York Times. During a drug run from Colombia, the prolific smuggler Andrew Thornton dropped several packages of cocaine over a forest in Georgia and parachuted to his death. Months later, a black bear who overdosed on cocaine was found in Chattahoochee National Forest. Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Jesse Tyler Ferguson all star in the film. Now the movie is rounding out its ensemble with an unexpected casting.
Scott Seiss recently joined the cast of Cocaine Bear, and now Banks, the film’s director, is welcoming the newcomer on Twitter. The casting was unexpected since Seiss is not a traditional actor with multiple credits to his name, but a former IKEA employee and TikTok comedian known for his retail and customer service-centric sketches. See Elizabeth Banks’ post welcoming Seiss to the cast of Cocaine Bear below:
Along with Seiss, Cocaine Bear also quietly cast Margo Martindale, Kristofer Hivju, Christian Convery, Brooklynn Prince, and Kahyun Kim in undisclosed roles. There is still no word on who will play the ill-fated drug smuggler Andrew Thornton or any character for that matter. The film is likely done making casting announcements since it will be heading into production later this month. While its true story took place in Kentucky and Georgia, Cocaine Bear will film in Ireland, where Banks recently moved.
The true story upon which Cocaine Bear is based certainly sounds like the basis for a black comedy. Still, the film was developed as a “character-driven thriller,” according to its screenwriter Jimmy Warden, who only has one other writing credit to his name in The Babysitter: Killer Queen. The film’s producers, Lord and Miller, are known for their live-action comedies like 21 Jump Street, and perhaps casting a comedian like Seiss suggests that Cocaine Bear will lean more into its comedic aspects as well.
Source: Elizabeth Banks
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