We now know when to expect an answer to the " Bruno : Borat -level triumph or $42 million Universal folly ?" question eating at Hollywood since first learning that the studio had shelled out that unconscionable sum for a feature-length prankumentary starring the heterosexually-threatening Sacha Baron Cohen character. From Variety : Universal will release the film on May 15, 2009. So far, there are no other R-rated comedies near that date. Twentieth Century Fox’s “Borat” was a box office hit, grossing $128.5 million domestically in an early November release. U believes “Borat” made Cohen enough of a household name to open “Bruno” in the high-profile summer sesh. While it's true that Cohen has already proven his pedigree by selling America an unqualified blockbuster featuring little more than his signature, yak-herding cultural ambassador, Bruno still has its fair share of hurdles right out of the gate. For starters, the fashion correspondent's fey, Österreichian inflections might ultimately prove to be off-putting to the same masses who had initially warmed to the simple, everyman pleasures of Borat. Sure, Mr. Sagdiyev may have occasionally demonstrated an affinity for fist-shaped dildos and neon, nuthugger swimwear , but that was easily laughed off as eccentric-foreigner, not eccentric-queer-foreigner, behavior. Universal sets a date for 'Bruno' [Variety] ...
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