Fresh off the success of Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Sacha Baron Cohen is teaming up with Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, the creative duo behind the Fox hit King of the Hill. The trio have locked down a new animated special titled, Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth, which will reportedly be an all-ages affair. (Read: Don’t expect to see Rudy Giuliani allegedly sticking his hands down his pants or Beavis and Butthead being, well, Beavis and Butthead.)
Geared toward younger audiences and set to air on both Cartoon Network and its streaming sibling HBO Max, the special is being written by Nathan For You co-creator Michael Koman and shares the absurdist humor and interpretive questioning that is a nod to Jewish intellectual traditions. The project is set in the mythical “Town of Fools” and originally told in Yiddish. Baron Cohen, who narrates, will present a fresh take on the silly antics and exaggerated conflicts of the town, while also preserving the essence and heart of the classic folktales.
The Chelm announcement arrives on the heels of Cohen dismissing his lawsuit against a cannabis company for using an unauthorized image of Borat on a billboard. According to CBS Boston, Cohen filed paperwork to drop the suit on Tuesday after reaching an agreement with the cannabis company. There was no mention of a settlement, and legal teams for both parties did not comment on the dismissal.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)