Though Ray Liotta wasn’t hugely active on social media, he did use Instagram for photos — for example with fiancée Jacy Nittolo — and to promote projects. His last post, from May 3, announced the release date of one of the films in production at the time of his death: an intense, ludicrous-sounding movie called “Cocaine Bear.”
His post quotes The Hollywood Reporter article that describes the film and its February 24, 2023 release date. The film, directed by Elizabeth Banks of “Pitch Perfect,” is loosely based on a bonkers true story, reported in The New York Times in 1985, about a black bear that died from a cocaine overdose after a former narcotics officer-turned-drug smuggler died when he parachuted from a plane while carrying too much — 79 pounds worth! — of the substance. It’s unclear whether this is meant to be a comedy or a serious thriller, but a lot of big names are attached, including Keri Russell, “character actress Margo Martindale,” Alden Ehrenreich, and Jessie Tyler Ferguson, among others.
“I had a special bond with Ray Liotta,” Banks posted in a statement on Twitter. “When any actor of Ray’s caliber puts trust in you as a director, it’s a gift. But Ray gave me so much more,” she said. “I had been told in the past by Hollywood producers that men wouldn’t follow me, that I couldn’t direct action because of that. Ray’s respect for me as a director, actress and artist, as his boss on set, meant everything to me.”
