Cocaine Bear’s Absurd Premise Indicates Decent Box Office Estimate: Report

Cocaine Bear – which hits theaters Friday – may not be in the same league as Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but early estimates suggest it could pave the way for mid-budget movies more promising. According to Variety, the dark comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks is expected to gross $15 million (approx Rs. 124 crore) to $17 million (approx Rs. 141 crore) at the North American box office, during its weekend. opening ending – aiming for second place in the region, just behind Ant-Man 3. Produced on a budget of $35 million (roughly Rs. global scale.

Evoking the meaning of a nonsensical Reddit story reinterpreted for the screen, the film could gain ground for being simply eccentric – aimed at younger audiences, expecting campy horror and laughs. A big-budget venture like Universal Pictures backing it could only mean more publicity, with Variety estimating the positive buzz could propel it to a $20 million (about Rs. 166 crore) opening in the US and Canada . Universal has aired commercials and trailers for Cocaine Bear on its Indian channels, but it’s unclear if the film will be shown in languages ​​other than English. The company also released a pixelated browser-based video game for the same last week, in which you chase down civilians and pick up duffel bags of cocaine to boost speed.

In India, the film faces stiff competition on both Hollywood and Bollywood fronts. The first is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which reportedly opened for Rs. 25 crores in its first three days in the country – a solid start for a not-so-popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That said, it still lags far behind other entries in the franchise, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which pulled in Rs. 79 crore in the first three days.

One would assume that the low numbers were partly related to the release of Ant-Man 3 clashing with the Kartik Aaryan-led Shehzada. The latter is said to have managed to collect Rs. 20.20 crores in the same period of time, in India. When Cocaine Bear is released on February 24, it will also face off against Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which recently passed the $400 million mark (about Rs. 3,313 crore) at the global box office. Led by Shah Rukh Khan Pathan is another hurdle in its path, having raised more than Rs 1,000 crore globally as of Tuesday. Variety notes that Ant-Man and the Wasp Quanumania will retain its no. 1 spot, also entering week two, posting the strongest opening of the shrinking superhero trilogy. As of this writing, Ant-Man 3 has collected $250.1 million (roughly Rs. 2,072 crore) in ticket sales worldwide.

Inspired by a true event from the mid-1980s, Cocaine Bear explores the drama and struggle for survival surrounding a bizarre group of tourists, cops and criminals – whose lives converge in a Georgia forest, after a American black bear unwittingly consumes a bag of cocaine and goes on a hellish rampage. While the beast was found dead in real life, Banks’ upcoming comedy depicts a “what if” scenario, where the bear survives and wreaks havoc in its path, looking for more of a hit. This is the third directorial gig for actress-turned-filmmaker Banks, who debuted with Pitch Perfect 2.

As previously reported, Cocaine Bear is budgeted at $35 million, most of which goes to Weta FX to bring the coke-stuffed bear to life. The company was also responsible for the special effects of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy and James Cameron’s latest Avatar: The Way of Water. Cocaine Bear features an ensemble cast including Keri Russell (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), O’Shea Jackson Jr./ Ice Cube, Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas).

Cocaine Bear hits theaters worldwide on February 24.