‘Vicious Bear’: This is how the cocaine addict bear who stars in the film came to life

‘Vicious Bear’, Elizabeth Banks’ daring bet about a bear that consumes cocaine in the American forests, is already in theaters. Since the project began to be known, many curious people have appeared looking for answers to their questions. Is the protagonist of the film really a cocaine-addicted bear? How can it be that it is inspired by real events? Is it possible that this project is a horror film and not a mass comedy? Some, surprised (and luckily, wrong) wondered if a real bear had been used for the filming of the story…

Now, with its arrival in movie theaters, all those doubts can be resolved once and for all. Today we will break down one of the most important: How has the protagonist of the film been brought to life?

‘Vicious Bear’: How was the bear designed?

First of all: no it’s not a real bear. Starting from this base, it is not difficult to imagine that recreating a bear of these characteristics through special effects, and with so much weight on the tape, is not an easy task. Who helped Banks create Coco (nickname given to the animal)?

“I knew if the bear didn’t look real, if we lost the audience to a bear that didn’t look like a bear, the movie wouldn’t work.,” commented the director. “We needed the best to create it.”

Thus came Weta, a special effects company based in New Zealand, founded by peter jacksonand who collaborated with projects such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘Avatar’ or ‘The Planet of the Apes’.

“They got the tune right away,” said Elizabeth Banks. “They understood that a bear could have very interesting behaviors, especially if it is high on cocaine.”

Once the team was assembled, it was necessary to determine the appearance of the bear. One of Banks’s fundamental requirements, when designing Coco, was that she not be particularly flashy. His appearance had to be realistic, not exaggerated.. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the animal must be a bear, specifically of the ‘Malay Bear’ variant.

The sun bear is omnivorous, lives in forests, is a great climber, short and stockyof black hair with reddish-brown markings, muscular limbs, curved legs, sharp claws, and a rather short muzzle (The latter was perfect, since it gave it an advantage in the fight and reduced its olfactory abilities… Something very convenient if the animal has to consume a bale of coca thinking that it is food…)

“The sun bear, by itself, already looks high“, commented Robin Hollander, Weta’s visual effects supervisor. “They give the impression of being somewhat asymmetrical, have a very long tongue and eat ferociously.. We were extremely lucky to join the project in its early stages and the opportunity to model the character based on a real animal.”

Seeking to be even more specific, and seeking to give Coco a unique authenticity, she received a scar on her snout and a torn ear. “There had to be something specific and recognizable,Banks shared.It’s not a good idea to mess with her, she’s a survivor.”

“Working with Weta was like a game”added the director. “They knew how to bring humor to the bear. For example, the shot of Sari looking out from behind the tree is not scripted. They wanted to show that the bear was not there and then it was. It was a great process.“

‘Vicious Bear’: Who got into the bear’s skin?

Now that we know who was behind the design of the animal, and how the aesthetic decision was made, we have to know who was in charge of giving Coco life. The one who got into his skin during the filming of the scenes.

This is Allan Henry, a motion capture specialist who has collaborated in productions such as: ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ or ‘The Avengers: Endgame’. When it comes to bringing creatures and animals to life, Henry knows his stuff.

“When they called me for the first time, they told me: ‘No.You need someone who can act like a crazy bear in a Kentucky woods and mess with people.’ Strange as it may seem, it was not a surprising request in my profession.”the actor commented.

In his preparation process, Henry dedicated himself to studying the behavior and movement of this type of bear. However, despite the many documentaries that could be found, investigating a bear that has used drugs is complicated to say the least.

“Playing a bear is hard enough“, he commented, “but to play a bear high on cocaine… Well, let’s just say it’s a challenge. Not many studies have been done on bears that have taken cocaine. I must admit that I based myself on conjectures.”

During recording, the actor wore a black lycra bodysuit and black gloves, hair patches and a helmet with a silicone muzzle, mounted on two telescopic and adjustable metal bars. Extensions were used on the arms and stilts. Furthermore, if the bear came into contact with any other actor, a foam suit was used to emulate the size of the creature.

“The hardest part was imitating the way bears balance their weight when running on all fours,“exposed the actor. “Watching them move, we do not realize their weight and the ease with which they move it”

“They are very strong, they can move many kilos of muscle and bone with relative ease; your entire body moves as a perfect unit. I needed a lot of training“.

After filming finished, Allan Henry went to New Zealand to help the Weta animators refine the bear’s movements. This involved replaying numerous scenes, on a virtual set, in a motion capture suit. So they could design their facial expressions exactly.

In this way, Coco stopped being an idea and became a reality. The crazy story hides many secrets, from impressive anecdotes from its filming, to the shocking true story that inspired the film… Do not miss all its news and, above all, do not miss your appointment at the cinema!