Ray Liotta had several films and a television series in the works before his sudden death on Thursday at age 67. At least two projects, Universal’s wild drug-filled thriller “Cocaine Bear” and the Apple TV Plus limited series “Black Bird,” had already completed production and should be released according to schedule, sources say.
Liotta died in his sleep while shooting “Dangerous Waters” in the Dominican Republic. The indie movie began production over a month ago, but it’s not clear where they were in terms of filming. John Barr is directing “Dangerous Waters,” a thriller about a sailing holiday that spirals out of control when a teenage daughter uncovers the dark past of her mother’s new boyfriend. The film also stars “You” actor Saffron Burrows, Odeya Rush (“Lady Bird”) and Eric Dane of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” fame.
The status of other projects involving Liotta — including writer-director Charlie Day’s comedy “El Tonto” and Universal’s drama “The Substance,” co-starring Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore — also remains a question mark.
It’s not clear who Liotta is playing in “Cocaine Bear,” which wrapped filming in Ireland last October. The Elizabeth Banks-directed movie is currently in post-production and is aiming to debut in theaters on Feb. 24, 2023. “Cocaine Bear” is inspired by the true story of an American black bear that goes on a murderous rampage after ingesting a staggering amount of blow. Along with Liotta, the cast includes Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, Margo Martindale and O’Shea Jackson Jr.
In “Black Bird,” which lands on Apple TV+ on July 8, Liotta is playing a police officer whose son (portrayed by Taron Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in prison for dealing drugs. While serving time, he’s offered early parole on the condition that he relocates to a prison for the criminally insane and befriends serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser).
Read more: Ray Liotta’s Career in Photos
Liotta, a New Jersey native, was best known for portraying real-life mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” and MLB star Shoeless Joe Jackson opposite Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams.” In recent years, he appeared as a divorce lawyer in Noah Baumbach’s relationship drama “Marriage Story,” a mobster in director Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move” and twin brothers “Hollywood Dick” and “Sally” Moltisanti in the “Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark.”