'Cocaine Bear' dethrones MCU's 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' at the domestic box office
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There is no doubt that 'Cocaine Bear' was one of the most highly anticipated this month as the concept of the movie is indeed very intriguing and unusual, however, no one thought that it would be able to break a Marvel Cinematic Universe's movie record. The comedy horror film helmed and produced by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden is loosely based on the true story of the 'Cocaine Bear,' an American black bear that ingested millions of dollars of lost cocaine in 1985.
Regardless, the first film in Phase Five of the MCU, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances (particularly those of Paul Rudd, Jonathan Majors, and Michelle Pfeiffer) and visuals, but criticized the writing and inconsistent tone. The film has grossed over 303 million dollars worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2023.
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'Cocaine Bear' bumped up the numbers
According to Deadline, Marvel Studios’ 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; is facing stormy times at the weekend box office, where it could tumble 71.6 percent to 30 million dollars plus in its sophomore outing. 'Ant-Man 3' opened to 120 million dollars over the four-day Presidents Day weekend, including a franchise-best of 105.5 million dollars for the three days but the poor word of mouth is clearly hurting the movie, along with competition from Universal's newest offering, 'Cocaine Bear,' which is stealing away younger adults. Universal’s 'Cocaine Bear' which even beat 'Ant-Man 3' on Friday with 8.7 million dollars versus 8.3 million dollars is on course to open to an estimated 21.21 dollars ahead of expectations. 'Cocaine Bear’s Friday gross of 8.7 million dollars included 2 million dollars in Thursday evening previews, so it should fall behind 'Ant-Man 3' sometime.
What inspired 'Cocaine Bear'?
The film is loosely inspired by the events surrounding a 175-pound (79 kg) American black bear that died after ingesting a duffel bag full of cocaine in December 1985. The cocaine had been dropped out of an airplane piloted by Andrew C. Thornton II, a former narcotics officer, and convicted drug smuggler because his plane was carrying too heavy a load. Thornton then jumped out of the plane with a faulty parachute and died. The bear was found three months later in northern Georgia alongside 40 opened plastic containers of cocaine. The bear is currently on display at Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, which named the creature "Cocaine Bear" in 2015.