The Cocaine Bear trailer is here — the wildest movie of 2023 is also Ray Liotta's final film

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Actual dialogue includes "A bear! did cocaine!"

The Bear in Cocaine Bear climbing a tree.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures via YouTube)

The Cocaine Bear movie is actually real. How do I know? We have the Cocaine Bear trailer to prove it. One of the most outlandish plots in recent memory — and it's inspired from a true story — Cocaine Bear looks like one of the movies most likely to get you to a cinema in February. 

Back in 1985, in Kentucky of all places, a bear stumbled onto some cocaine and ate it. Wildness ensued, and we're still kinda shocked this story isn't more well-known, and that this is the first adaptation it's getting, around 37 years later.

Cocaine Bear release date

Cocaine Bear hits theaters on February 24. Since it's a Universal Pictures film, there's a strong chance it will land on Peacock (one of the best streaming services) around 1.5-2 months after its theatrical release.

Cocaine Bear trailer

The Cocaine Bear trailer shows that this movie — to borrow a Stefon line — has it all. A bear, loose in the woods who got into a brick of cocaine. And with the energy it's gained from that brick, this bear is climbing trees. 

Our favorite bit in the trailer is where the bear climbs up a tree to hunt down a character who thinks he's safe because of his elevation. The trailer ends with Isiah Whitlock Jr.'s character saying saying "Apex predator, high on cocaine, it's out of its mind."

Cocaine Bear cast and crew

What seperates Cocaine Bear from other wild and zany animals-gone-crazy movies is its cast. Keri Russell stars as Colette Matthews, a mother trying to find her daughter in the woods. Ray Liotta and O'Shea Jackson Jr. are criminals connected to the cocaine, and Solo's Alden Ehrenreich is out there being weird.

The rest of the announced cast includes Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Margo Martindale (Justified), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire). Yes, they got Clay Davis. We're hoping he utters his famous and profane one-word catch-phrase ("sh*t) from the HBO series, where he draws the "i" out for as long as possible.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.