It’s only February, but Universal is getting set to release a movie that might not be outdone in terms of outlandish titles all the rest of this year. “Cocaine Bear” is coming to theaters across the United States on Friday, Feb. 24.
The movie’s premise is every bit as ridiculous as its title. An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine. And believe it or not, its inspired by a true story. The movie was directed by “Wet Hot American Summer” and “Lego Movie” star Elizabeth Banks, and was one of the last films the late Ray Liotta worked on before his passing.
To date, there are only six reviews for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, but they’re universally positive. Critics are praising the film for not trying to be more than the absurd Grade-B action film it is, and for living up to its absurd title.
Watch a Trailer for ‘Cocaine Bear’:
If you’re down for the chaos and hilarity that “Cocaine Bear” is sure to offer, but you’d rather avoid the crowds at the theater, you might want to know when the film will be available to stream from the comfort of home. As per usual, its distributor Universal Studios has declined to make a declarative statement on that subject, so we’ll just have to muddle through with an educated guess.
Since “Cocaine Bear” is being brought to the world by Universal, it will stream on NBCUniversal’s service Peacock first. When exactly that will be, however, requires a bit of extrapolation based on Universal’s most recent movie releases. The good news is, Peacock is making a limited-time offer in which new subscribers can save 50% off an annual subscription.
Universal’s most recent hit was the AI-doll horror flick “M3GAN,” which did so well for the company that it’s already greenlit a sequel. It will stream on Peacock starting Feb. 24, 49 days after its initial release on Jan. 6, which suggests that even movies that perform above expectations for Universal won’t be bound to theaters for too long.
“Violent Night,” the Santa-themed action thriller starring David Harbour also took 49 days to head to streaming. Its premise is a little less outlandish than “Cocaine Bear’s” (it’s about Santa Claus granting the wish of a little girl who wants her family to be saved from kidnappers), and like “M3GAN” it also did well enough for Universal to move ahead with pre-production on a sequel.
Expectations are that “Cocaine Bear” should perform similarly to “Violent Night” and “M3GAN” at the box office, so it would make sense for them to come to streaming in similar windows. Therefore, our best guess for when you’ll be able to stream “Cocaine Bear” on Peacock is Friday, April 14. That would give it a theatrical window of 49 days, and give those suffering from springtime allergies something to do while they’re stuck inside.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.