RED SONJA: Here's How Much Sacha Baron Cohen Turned Down To Play The Villainous Kulan Gath

RED SONJA: Here's How Much Sacha Baron Cohen Turned Down To Play The Villainous Kulan Gath

We've heard that Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) was once highly sought after for a role in the Red Sonja reboot, but a new report reveals the shocking amount of money he turned down to board the project...

By JoshWilding - Aug 31, 2022 11:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Red Sonja
Source: THR (via SFFGazette.com)

Last week, it was revealed that cameras have finally started rolling on Millennium Media's Red Sonja reboot in Bulgaria. The movie has been through a long list of filmmakers (including disgraced X-Men helmer Bryan Singer) and a few different leading ladies, but Matilda Lutz will now play the title character in a movie helmed by M.J. Bassett.

Joining her in the cast are Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan, Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Manal El-Feitury, and Katrina Durden, though news broke via Deadline on Monday that Oliver Trevena (Wire Room) has also boarded the project in a key role. 

Trevena will play Tr’aal, a gladiator-type warrior who joins Sonja in her fight against the evil emperor. However, we've also learned that Red Sonja came close to landing a huge name for its big bad once upon a time. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com), Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen was approached to play the villainous magician Kulan Gath in this movie about the She-Devil with the Sword.

Millennium wanted him to lead the cast alongside Hannah John-Kamen, but the actor - coming off the back of an Oscar nomination for his stellar work in The Trial of the Chicago 7 - turned down a whopping $7 million offer. He was in high demand at the time, of course, and that opportunity was presented to him when Joey Soloway was at the helm. 

Since then, the screenplay has been rewritten, and we no longer know if the evildoer will be part of this fresh take.

Adapted from the sword and sorcery comic books of the same name from Dynamite Entertainment, Red Sonja is based on the heroine created by Robert E. Howard and adapted by Roy Thomas. The character is described as a fearsome warrior boasting a high degree of skill with a sword, though no specific story details have been revealed.

Red Sonja doesn't currently have a release date, but we're betting it will arrive in theaters next year. There's always a chance it heads straight to streaming, but that will likely hinge on how much has been spent on making this movie a reality.

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regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 8/31/2022, 11:12 AM
This movie is going to suck. Watch any movie from Millennium and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Matador
Matador - 8/31/2022, 12:56 PM
@regularmovieguy - SO some would say.....it's better to dodge.

bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 8/31/2022, 2:42 PM
@regularmovieguy - I don't expect this movie to be anything more than a dumb mid-budget action movie, so I don't mind it.

The only reason I give this the benifit of the doubt is because of the director and lead.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 8/31/2022, 2:50 PM
@bkmeijer1

I'm not familiar with either of them, unfortunately. The production company is notorious for shooting in Bulgaria and being super cheap - which doesn't give me much hope but if it looks good I'll give it a shot.

Never seen the original!
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 8/31/2022, 2:55 PM
@regularmovieguy - yeah it's probably gonna end up looking a bit cheap, but with a movie like Red Sonja that doesn't bother me too much.

Gotta see something too though before I'm gonna judge
EarlChai
EarlChai - 8/31/2022, 11:24 AM
Dang. Wish I could say I had the wherewithall to turn down a $7 million job offer!
mountainman
mountainman - 8/31/2022, 11:34 AM
@EarlChai - It’s all relative right?

I’ve turned down opportunities that younger and poorer me would definitely have taken. I guess that’s the privilege of being a multimillionaire actor!
Rosraf
Rosraf - 8/31/2022, 11:57 AM
I hope it resembles the source material
Kyos
Kyos - 8/31/2022, 12:08 PM
I shouldn't allow myself to get excited for this, but Lutz is a good choice for the role, and while the director's credits aren't exactly overwhelming she made some fairly entertainig movies. I remain cautiously optimistic.

TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 8/31/2022, 12:25 PM
I don’t think this movie will happen. Maybe as a series.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/31/2022, 4:04 PM
@TheSuperMex - It's been in development hell for over a decade. Maybe even longer. I can't seenit ever happening.
HAUSMAN01
HAUSMAN01 - 8/31/2022, 4:50 PM
@TheSuperMex - At this point I wouldn't mind Marvel making a series with whatever stake of the character that have of the character even it it means putting it on the age restricted section of DISNEY + with characters like PUNISHER & the rest of the DEFENDERS maybe
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 8/31/2022, 5:54 PM
@CorndogBurglar - I remember when Bryan Singer was going to direct it.
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 8/31/2022, 5:56 PM
@HAUSMAN01 - does marvel own it?
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