A 500-pound black bear ingests a couple of kilos of cocaine. What could go possibly go wrong? The new comedy-thriller-action film, Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks has hit theaters and is based on the true 1985 story of a much smaller bear that ate copious amounts of white powder in a Georgia wildlife park. This part is very true. Authorities did find a black bear in Georgia's Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, but the part about him going murderous rampage is not based on fact. The film stars Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Margo Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and the late Ray Liotta in one of his final performances. So where did Banks and her crew decide to shoot the film that originally took place in the mountains of Fannin County, Georgia. The actual locations used for the film are about as far away from Georgia as you can get. Principal photography for the film took place in August and September of 2021, so where was it shot?
'Cocaine Bear' Was Shot in Country Wicklow, Ireland
The cast and crew of Cocaine Bear ended up in Ireland for the majority of the shoot. County Wicklow, a grassy and mountainous region of the Emerald Isle has become a favorite location for filmmakers all over the world for its proximity to Dublin and its scenic views. Other films including Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, Braveheart, and last year's Disenchanted have capitalized on the lush forest of the county along with the majestic 400-foot tall Powerscourt Waterfalls, and the Avoca Mines. Big television productions like the recent Netflix drama Vikings: Valhalla also used these locations to capture the picturesque backdrops. It's kind of strange to think that these areas are so far away from the place where the actual events took place. Apparently, County Wicklow and the Peach State of Georgia are more interchangeable than we thought.
Where Does Fact Become Fiction?
In the film, Ray Liotta plays a drug smuggler who is in search of a large amount of cocaine that was supposed to be dropped from a passing airplane to a specific location for pick up in the forest of northern Georgia close to the Tennessee state line. The authorities later found 40 open containers of cocaine that were estimated to be several million dollars worth of the drug. They also found the bear in close proximity to the container. The brown bear had died from a very real overdose after ingesting so much of the drug. All the events of the bear in the film wired on cocaine and going on a murderous spree are all fictional but definitely make for a great story - a movie called Cocaine Bear, to be exact
Elizabeth Banks on Shooting in Wicklow County, Ireland
In an interview, Elizabeth Banks shared her thoughts on filming in such a beautiful location, telling joe.ie, "'My kids loved it. They took sailing lessons at Dublin Harbour. We went kayaking. I lived in Dalkey, which was gorgeous. So I just loved being there. And it was a perfect match to Georgia. People can't believe when they see the movie. They can't believe it's not Georgia." Apparently, the allure of Wicklow County is drawing so many projects not only because of its beautiful spots for shooting but also because it makes for a great getaway with all manner of activities to fill in the gaps when you're not capturing a coked-up bear wreaking havoc on an innocent group of sightseers!