Sacha Baron Cohen has kept an uncharacteristically low profile since the controversial 2012 comedy The Dictator, but he will be returning to the big screen in next year’s Grimsby. The trailer has just been released.
The film was originally slated for release this year but was pushed back, perhaps to avoid the onslaught of spy movies that have monopolised multiplexes in 2015.
Cohen stars as the football hooligan brother of Mark Strong’s super spy, and the trailer gives us a look at their wildly different lives.
The film also boasts a fascinatingly diverse supporting cast including Rebel Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Isla Fisher, Gabourey Sidibe and Johnny Vegas.
Whether it can distinguish itself from the other action-comedies of late is yet to be seen, and director Louis Leterrier’s track record has been spotty (from Clash of the Titans to The Transporter).
The film has already generated a small amount of controversy for allegedly portraying the town of Grimsby in a negative light. “It is using the town’s name in potentially a poor light,” North East Lincolnshire councillor Matthew Brown said. “What also worries me is that there is no benefit to the local economy which is carrying the town’s name. Anything that you associate with football hooliganism is going to be negative, but I hope people will be open-minded when they watch the film.”
Grimsby will be released in UK and US cinemas on 4 March.
