Studios vying for next Cohen film comedy

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Several Hollywood film studios have been engaged in a costly bidding war for the next film comedy from "Borat" creator, Sacha Baron Cohen.

The financial battle for the comedian's film take on his Australian character Bruno has drawn a current high bid of $42 million from Universal Pictures, despite the fact that Cohen's "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" is not being released until Friday, said the Hollywood Reporter.

While "Borat" is based around Cohen's outlandish fictional reporter from Kazakhstan, "Bruno" will revolve around the comedian's flamboyant gay fashion reporter from Australia.

Cohen has reportedly set a tentative summer 2007 release date for the film even though no director or starting date have been named and without a script being firmly in place.

The Hollywood Reporter said producer Jay Roach, who also produced "Borat," has signed on to the comedic production no matter where the film ends up.