Never let it be said that Sacha Baron Cohen is going soft. He’s taken on world dictators, homophobia, racism, dumb celebrities, Ryan Seacrest and the unfair bias against hairy men wrestling in the nude. Now he’s going to deal with the hot button issue of lesbianism, presumably with his typical blend of sensitivity and serious social commentary.
According to Deadline, Paramount Pictures has tapped Baron Cohen and his production company Four By Two Films to develop a feature based on the story of Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao. Chao made headlines a week ago when he offered $65 million to any man who would marry his lesbian daughter after reports surfaced that she had a French church bless her longterm relationship. The film, tentatively titled The Lesbian, is a potential vehicle for Sacha Baron Cohen himself, who could play the billionaire … or the suitor … or maybe the lesbian. Or perhaps all three.
Baron Cohen courts controversy, after all, and the billionaire’s offer seems right up his alley. As always, the writing is key, and no writer is yet attached to the project. Baron Cohen is usually at his best when he’s dealing with real people rather than scripted situations, but this concept seems closer to standard feature The Dictator than the faux-documentary Borat. Then again, The Dictator was at once one of the most offensive and funniest films I’ve seen in a long time.
At the very least, it will be interesting to see how The Lesbian develops.
As always, we’ll keep an eye on The Lesbian as script and casting choices are made.
