Sacha Baron Cohen to remake Danish comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen is set to remake debauched Danish comedy Klown.

The film revolves around 'wildly inappropriate' friends running amok through the countryside, with lead character Frank dragging along his girlfriend's 12-year-old nephew in an ill-judged bid to prove his fatherhood potential.

The 2010 original was described as 'cheerfully offensive and bizarre' by the Guardian but 'a grim, desperately unfunny parade of dick jokes' by Time Out.

But Baron Cohen has long been a fan of the film, which is the highest-grossing in Danish history, and he previously recruited writers Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam to script his forthcoming musical The Lesbian, which is still in development.

According to ScreenDaily, the Borat creator will also be one of the producers, and is expected at the American Film Market in Santa Monica today to help raise finance.

A sequel, to the original, entitled Klown Forever and based around a trip to Los Angeles, was released last year, and featured Baron Cohen's wife Isla Fisher as herself.

Eastbound & Down star Danny McBride had previously been rumoured to star with Todd Phillips – who directed the Hangover films to which Klown is often compared – down to direct.

Here is a trailer for the original:

Published: 4 Nov 2016