The Dictator



The Dictator is an upcoming 2012 British/American comedy film written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Baron Cohen's fourth film will "tell the story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed", according to Paramount Pictures, which will distribute the film. It will be released on May 16.

Larry Charles, who previously directed Baron Cohen's mockumentariesBorat and Brüno, will also direct the film. Baron Cohen will star alongside Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris. Baron Cohen will play the role of Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator from the fictional Middle Eastern country of the Republic of Wadiya. The film is reported to be a departure from Baron Cohen's previous mockumentary films, as The Dictator features a supporting cast of known actors, proper film production camerawork and is not focused entirely on Baron Cohen's character, unlike his films Borat and Brüno, which featured minimal supporting cast, firsthand camerawork, and usually only featured one other known actor besides Baron Cohen.

The film is said to be inspired by the novel Zabibah and the King by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. This genre of film has been done before also in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, a polemic parody of Hitler. The trailer alludes to the fact that the film is also inspired by the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, due to the character's visit to the United States and his Amazonian Guard. Furthermore, the archive news footages of President of the United States Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron in the beginning of the trailer are all excerpts of speeches condemning Gaddafi's actions in the Libyan civil war. Footage also shows U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad. Throughout the trailer, the song "Mundian To Bach Ke" by DJ/producer Panjabi MC featuring Jay-Z played a central role as the film's main theme song. A special version of the trailer was later made for a Super Bowl XLVI commercial advert spot.

Cast

 * Sacha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen
 * Bobby Lee as Mr. Lao
 * Kevin Corrigan as Slade
 * J. B. Smoove as Usher
 * Megan Fox as Herself
 * Ben Kingsley
 * Anna Faris
 * Jason Mantzoukas
 * B. J. Novak
 * John C. Reilly as Hotel Manager
 * Adeel Akhtar
 * John Lennon
 * Fred Melamed

Filming
Location shooting took place at the Plaza de España in Seville, and in the island of Fuerteventura, Spain.

Filming also took place in New York City in June–August 2011.

Publicity
On 26 February 2012, Baron Cohen was banned from attending the 84th Academy Awards in his role as Admiral General Aladeen; however, it was later decided that he could come as himself in civilian attire. Baron Cohen, despite the ban, came dressed up as the Dictator, greeting the reporters with a cheery "Hello, death to the West!" and while holding an urn which he said was filled with the ashes of his "doubles-tennis partner" Kim Jong-il whose dream, Baron Cohen claimed, was "to be sprinkled over the red carpet and Halle Berry's chest again." As Baron Cohen showed the golden urn featuring the image of Kim Jong-il, he then proceeded to view the bottom of the urn while "accidentally" spilling its contents onto E! red carpet host Ryan Seacrest. The "ashes" were later reported to be pancake mix.

Trailers
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