Interview (Written): Jimmy Warden

A conversation with the screenwriter of Cocaine Bear.

A Script magazine interview with the screenwriter of Cocaine Bear.

How did Cocaine Bear come about?

I wrote it on spec. I found an article about Andrew Carter Thornton and the cocaine bear. I did a bunch of research and became obsessed with it. I thought it would be a great launching off point for an insane horror/adventure that was like a throwback to the ones we love from the 80s and 90s. I went off that. The bear ingests cocaine and doesn’t die in my fantasy version of this movie. Then what happens? He goes on a rampage and kills a bunch of people.

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Horror/comedy is difficult to write. How did you ride that fine line?

It all starts with very distinct characters. If you set up the characters correctly and give them each their individual storylines and arcs, when you put them in contact with a bear, their personalities get exaggerated. That’s where a lot of the comedy comes in. The Margo Martindale character has her eyes set on one thing when the movie starts. You put her in front of the bear, and she reacts under extraordinary circumstances in a way you wouldn’t think.

Here is a trailer for the movie:

For the rest of the interview with Jimmy Warden, go here.

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UPDATE: Here’s an excerpt from a Variety interview:

Was “Cocaine Bear” the title from the start?

Yeah. If I’m being completely honest — maybe I shouldn’t say it — I never thought anybody was going to make this movie. When you have a script, you want to do anything to get people to read it. So there was never any question in my mind that the movie would be called “Cocaine Bear.” I think that if you asked me back then I would have been like, if it ever gets made, I assume people are probably going to want to change the name. But Universal never did.

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Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like when you wrote this script, you saw it as a calling card to get other work, but you didn’t think a respectable studio would ever make it.

I guess I wouldn’t say “respectable studio.” I’m not sure it’s the right narrative, but that is kind of the truth. It was maybe going to get me some attention that people would read on tracking boards, possibly? Or just another spec that I would just throw on the pile of many that no one ever reads. I’m not sure if this is the best thing for me to say from a publicity perspective, but I don’t really care. The truth is, no, I didn’t think that any respectable studio would make a movie called “Cocaine Bear” and keep all the shit that I had written.

To read the rest of the Variety interview, go here.