Sacha Baron Cohen to make film of 'Saddam Hussein book'

[Troy]

Borat and Bruno actor Sacha Baron Cohen is to star in a comedy inspired by a book thought to have been written by the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

The Dictator is a loose adaptation of the novel Zabibah and the King, which was a best-seller in Iraq in 2000.

Paramount Pictures said the film would tell "the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed".

It will be released on 11 May 2012.

Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel - writers on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm - have been recruited to pen the script.

The Dicator will be directed by Larry Charles, who worked with Baron Cohen on both the Bruno and Borat comedies.

Although Zabibah and the King was written under the pseudonym "The Author", it is believed it was written by ghost-writers carefully supervised by Hussein.

Set in the 7th or 8th Century, the romance novel tells the story of a king who falls in love with a poor, married woman.

First of all I never realised that Saddam Hussein wrote a novel that wasn't an autobiography. Second this will be awesome with Sacha Baron Cohen playing the role of him. He is going to look so much like him for the role it will be hilarious, plus playing Saddam in a comedy should lead to great things. Cohen is a fantastic actor, especially in comedies, so I am expecting big things.

Can't wait for first the Queen film and then this.

 

[Prodigy]

I love Baron Cohen and I think this film should be great. I just hope he does not go to far with any racist jokes or comments as he has been known to do so and it may cause trouble in iraq. And KFC I don't think it's asctually about Hussein himself.

 

[Troy]

My bad I misread it before. It isn't about Hussein himself but I am sure that Cohen will grow out a moustache for the role and will most likely look quite similar to Saddam. I am pretty sure they won't set it in the 7th/8th century either as that will be pretty hard to shot. Will be interesting to hear more details. I don't think that he will hold back with the jokes and racist comments, he always takes it to the extreme with things like that.

 

[Deezy]

Can tell he is only doing this movie to get a reaction out of the Muslim world so it would make him look like a comic genius. Like the way he intentionally baited the Kazakhstan government with Borat or the gay community with Bruno. I'm not a fan of Sasha Baron Cohen tbvh. I find him to be a blatant ripoff of Peter Sellers.

 

[Dod Draper]

Can tell he is only doing this movie to get a reaction out of the Muslim world so it would make him look like a comic genius. Like the way he intentionally baited the Kazakhstan government with Borat or the gay community with Bruno. I'm not a fan of Sasha Baron Cohen tbvh. I find him to be a blatant ripoff of Peter Sellers.

He's able to in the world we live in though.

Get people's backs up and evoke a reaction, become (in)famous. Controversy creates cash.

 

[Deezy]

Doesn't create endearing characters or substance of a plot though. Borat was good I'll admit that, but the fact that he is all candid camera about it makes me not want to watch it. Save that shit for CBS sundays so old people can laugh more after America's Funniest Videos.