If Cocaine Bear only whetted your appetite for ursus-inspired dark comedy, then Hanway Films wants your attention. Hey Bear is a new revenge comedy that will be up for auction at the American Film Market, and it’s got a pretty sweet cast already in place. Mia Goth, Zach Galifianakis, and Dan Stevens are attached to what’s being called a “coming of rage” story from Portlandia co-creator Jonathan Krisel.
Krisel will make his feature directorial debut on Hey Bear, about a woman who seeks revenge on the bear that mauled her husband. The film will have a script by Carrie Kemper, an Emmy winner for her work on the hit Netflix series, Beef.
“There is nothing more thrilling than coming across a project that breaks barriers in terms of originality. As absurd and crazy as the premise of this story is, you always fully connect and empathise with Claire’s journey as she figures out how, out of grief, to take ownership of her life again. Mia Goth, Dan Stevens, and Zach Galifianakis are the dream team to make us laugh, feel, and gasp with shock and horror,” Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, said in an official statement.
Goth is currently starring in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein. Galifianakis was part of one of the year’s biggest hits, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. Stevens’ two movies this year were the possession horror The Ritual opposite Al Pacino, and the Hulu biopic Swiped alongside Lily James.
SYNOPSIS: Claire (Goth) has always led a life solely based on other people’s expectations. Married to Gregory (Stevens), she accommodates his desire to spend his life studying bears in Glacier National Park, even though it means months away from him at a time. During one of her visits, a grizzly bear, nicknamed Mr. Cranky by Gregory, mauls him to death. After being told by the park rangers that Mr. Cranky was euthanised, Claire finds out that the bear has merely been transported to another national park and is living his best life. The usually meek Claire makes up her mind to exact revenge on the bear. She teams up with socially awkward park ranger Putt (Galifianakis) to assassinate Mr. Cranky, but Putt has his own murky motivations for joining her. With death and truth lurking around every tree, Claire’s desperate, grief-fueled mission takes her on an ultimately uplifting journey of empowerment and self-discovery. Set in breath-taking natural scenery, this “coming of rage” story is a darkly comedic rollercoaster ride full of originality and surprise.
This sounds pretty wild. We’ll update you when more news on Hey Bear arrives, because I’m expecting a fun ensemble to take shape.
