We guess Sacha Baron Cohen can scratch “Men In Black 3” off his list. Deadline Hollywood reports that the British comedian is in talks with knighted countryman Ben Kingsley to join Martin Scorsese’s upcoming children’s fantasy adventure “Hugo Cabret.”
Based on the book-cum-graphic novel for kids by Brian Selznick, the film, set in 1931, follows an orphaned boy who secretly lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station looking after the clocks and gets caught up in a mystery adventure when he attempts to repair a mechanical man. Cohen is eyeing the role of the station inspector while Kingsley will be playing silent filmmaker George Méliès, who plays a pivotal role in the film.
While there was some speculation the film would be in 3D, in an interview earlier this month, Scorsese pretty much put those rumors to rest. John Logan (“The Aviator,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”) wrote the script and the film is on track for a Paris shoot in May.
This is some tremendously exciting casting news, and given Scorsese’s love for the visually spellbinding films of Powell & Pressburger this promises to be a kid’s film like no other. And given that Méliès plays a prominent role in the film, we expect some serious nods to early French cinema as well (ie. Marcel Carné etc).