By Melanie Mayberry, programming editor

Did you know that the comedy/horror film, Cocaine Bear, was based on a real story? The film, Cocaine Bear, starring Keri Russell and Ray Liotta, debuts today on Peacock after a successful run in theaters. But Peacock today is also premiering Cocaine Bear: The True Story, a documentary about a bear who swallowed 75 pounds of cocaine lost by a rogue police officer. While the movie’s storyline is quite a bit more imaginative than the real thing, the film’s creative team took its inspiration from the real event.

Below is the press release from Peacock and a trailer from the doc. Enjoy.

PEACOCK ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATE AND RELEASES TRAILER FOR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY “COCAINE BEAR: THE TRUE STORY”
The Story Behind the Hit Hollywood Film Begins Streaming Friday, April 14

COCAINE BEAR: THE TRUE STORY dives deep into the bizarre actual events behind the hit Hollywood movie Cocaine Bear. The documentary tells the story of Kentucky blueblood Drew Thornton and the infamous drug run that will forever link him to a Georgia bear on cocaine. The one-hour documentary features interviews with those closest to the case including the former sheriff who was one of the first on the scene, and the special agent whose team found The Cocaine Bear.

About ‘Cocaine Bear: The True Story’
In the hit Hollywood movie “Cocaine Bear”, a huge bag full of cocaine drops out of the sky into the woods of North Georgia and is eaten by a black bear, who goes on an epic rampage. It all seems like fantasy, but it’s actually based on a true story that’s just as bizarre as the movie plot, involving drug cartels, murder, mayhem and a Lexington Kentucky blueblood named Drew Thornton. Thornton turns his back on a life of privilege to embrace the dark side, turning from cop to international drug smuggler, flying planeloads of cocaine into America from South America. But one day he mysteriously falls to his death in a Knoxville, Tennessee driveway with his own huge bag of cocaine, armed to the teeth and wearing a pair of…Gucci loafers? How this modern-day Icarus and his fancy shoes have become forever connected to the cocaine bear is the legend behind “Cocaine Bear: The True Story.”

Premiere Date: April 14, 2023
Executive Producers: Mike Griffiths, Ian Russell, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Krissy Wall, Robert Palumbo
Produced By: ITN Productions and Brownstone Productions
Format: Documentary, 1 x 60 mins

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