CNN
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When you’ve seen the astonishing trailer for “Cocaine Bear” making the rounds on Twitter, you may need questions concerning the movie’s declare that it’s “impressed by true occasions.” However the story is certainly based mostly on the true story of a bear who overdosed on cocaine within the Nineteen Eighties.
The movie, which shall be launched in February 2023, was directed and coproduced by Elizabeth Banks. Within the movie, the bear goes on a cocaine-fueled killing spree after its drug binge. In actual life, the story has a much less sensational ending: The bear was discovered lifeless in Chattahoochee Nationwide Forest after overdosing.
A duffel bag of cocaine was dropped from a small aircraft into the mountains of Georgia by Andrew Thornton, who died after parachuting from the aircraft, in accordance with reporting on the time by The Related Press. Thornton’s sordid life as a police officer and drug supplier has been documented in books like “The Blue Grass Conspiracy.”
Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers had been trying to find the lifeless smuggler’s cocaine parcels after they discovered the bear, says the AP. The black bear was discovered lifeless close to a duffel bag and 40 packages of cocaine, ripped open and scattered over the hillside.
It’s unclear from the AP report precisely how a lot cocaine the bear consumed – however the duffel bag would have initially contained round 88 kilos of the highly effective drug. It was valued at $2 million, the AP reported.
“The bear bought to it earlier than we may, and he tore the duffel bag open, bought him some cocaine and OD’d (overdosed),” Garner stated, in accordance with the AP on the time.
“There’s nothing left however bones and a giant conceal,” he added.
However even after its narcotic-fueled demise, the bear has continued to have a putting legacy. The Kentucky for Kentucky Enjoyable Mall claims to have the bear’s stuffed stays on show, full with a reputation tag providing the bear the nickname “Pablo EskoBear.”
In a weblog, the mall says the taxidermied bear handed via many arms earlier than coming to Kentucky. The Georgia health worker who carried out the bear’s post-mortem contacted a taxidermist to stuff the bear, then donated it to the Chattahoochee River Nationwide Recreation Space. Ultimately the bear made its option to a pawnshop, the place it was purchased by nation music star Waylon Jennings. The bear continued to change arms, touring to Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, earlier than ultimately being purchased by the mall, claims the weblog.
The movie options the late Ray Liotta in his final position earlier than he handed away, in addition to actors Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery-Jennings, Alden Ehrenreich, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Regardless of how bloodthirsty the bear seems within the movie’s trailer, in actuality bear assaults on people are uncommon, in accordance with the Nationwide Park Service.
