The Dictator | featured news

Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator" debuted at No. 3 despite a robust $59.7 million theatrical gross. Nearly a dozen new home video releases appeared in the top 20 on the national sales charts the week ending Aug. 26, but none could break the hold of two high-profile theatricals already available on disc. Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games and Universal Studios’ Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax repeated at No. 1 and No. 2 on both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks overall disc sales, and Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart.

As if his portrayals of Borat and Bruno weren't outrageous enough, Sacha Baron Cohen's next role will be playing Saddam Hussein. The British comic will star in and co-write "The Dictator," which is scheduled for release in May 2012, Paramount Pictures said Thursday. Larry Charles, who directed Baron Cohen in "Bruno" and "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," will direct once again.