Elizabeth Banks knew she wanted “to build something powerful and manly” with her bizarre new film “Cocaine Bear.”
Banks, who directed and coproduced the movie about a drug-fueled bear on a killing spree, discussed how challenging it was to persuade certain Hollywood heavy hitters that a woman could make such a picture in a new interview with Variety released on Wednesday.
Banks stated, “I wanted to dispel some misconceptions surrounding the types of movies women are interested in making. Hollywood execs still say things like, “I don’t know if women can do technical stuff,” for some strange reason. Some claim that women don’t enjoy arithmetic. It simply continues.
She admitted it is “an enormous risk” and that it “may be a career-ender for me” for the upcoming film, which is based on a true incident from the 1980s about a drug drop gone bad that led to a bear swallowing cocaine.
The industry’s apprehension about the genre is partially a result of the original comedy’ underwhelming box office results.
However, Banks is optimistic that the concept’s pure silliness, combined with the gory horror of a cocaine-addled bear tearing people to pieces, would draw audiences to the theatre.
“I enjoy gore. I was raised on “Evil Dead,” Banks admitted to Variety. “The gore enhances the ride’s enjoyment.”
The movie “Cocaine Bear” will debut on February 24.
