Sacha Baron Cohen has Paramount’s goat — and the studio has his next movie.
The star of "Borat" and "Bruno" has been making his way around Hollywood with "Seinfeld" writers Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel, armed with a comedy pitch that features a character who tends goats.
The foursome met with a total of six studio presidents over a period of two days, and Paramount trumped Sony in the fierce bidding war after president Brad Grey sent a goat to Baron Cohen and another goat to William Morris Endeavor, which represents the creative comedian, reports Deadline.
As TheWrap mentioned on Wednesday, details about the project remain scarce, but the foursome likely scored a big payday considering their impressive comic credentials.
Visitors to WME’s 3rd floor were greeted by a fashion-conscious goat wearing a Paramount T-shirt before Ari Emanuel had it removed from the building after it defecated in a hallway.
Some bloggers have questioned Baron Cohen’s commercial appeal since "Bruno" failed to replicate the phenomenal success of "Borat," but "Bruno" was no box office slouch itself, grossing nearly $140 million worldwide on a reported $42 million production budget. Baron Cohen next stars in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming 3D movie "Hugo Cabret."
Berg, Schaffer and Mandel currently serve as executive producers on HBO’s "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which will return in 2011 for a 10-episode eighth season. The trio previously worked on the movies "EuroTrip" and "The Cat in the Hat," and Schaffer had a hand in "Bruno."
