( CNN ) -- Borat meets Saddam Hussein ? Maybe not , but Sasha Baron Cohen 's next comedy project draws from the former Iraqi strongman -- or rather from his writings . Hussein , executed in Iraq in 2006 , fancied himself something of a novelist , penning four of them while ruling Iraq . Baron Cohen 's next film , `` The Dictator , '' is inspired by Hussein 's `` Zabibah and the King , '' a romance novel originally published anonymously in 2000 , reportedly as an allegory for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in the First Gulf War . Baron Cohen 's version `` tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed , '' according to Paramount Pictures , which will distribute the film . Larry Charles , who directed Cohen 's comedies `` Bruno '' and `` Borat , '' also will direct `` The Dictator . '' The film is slated for release on May 11 , 2012 , Paramount said . Baron Cohen is producing , along with Scott Rudin -- who produced Joel and Ethan Coen 's `` True Grit '' -- Alec Berg , Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel . Berg , Schaffer and Mandel will pitch in with the writing chores .
` ` The King '' is inspired by ` ` Zabibah and the King '' ` ` Zabibah '' is intended to be an allegory for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 . ` ` The King '' is expected to be released in late 2012 , Paramount says .