The film isn't out until May 2012, but the first picture of Sacha Baron Cohen as The Dictator has been released by Paramount. Will it be as brilliant as Borat, good as Bruno or disappointing as Ali G In Da House? Let's take guess...

Okay, The Dictator is an adaptation of a romance novel called Zabibah and the King, which was supposedly written by - or least authorised by - Iraq's former leader Saddam Hussein. Yep, not on Richard and Judy's book list yet.

The screenplay is described as a tale of a 'heroic dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy will never come to the country he lovingly oppresses'. And according to the Guardian, storyline follows the despot, who is replaced by a look-alike goatherd and then seeks out a new life in New York City, where he falls in love with a peasant girl. LOLs all round. 

Before Jennifer Aniston has a panic attack about missing out on next year's big rom-com, it should be noted that the love thang is all a big metaphor, with the poor girl representing the people of Iraq, her violent husband the USA and her cruel neighbour the state of Israel. Although, since the film is being made by an American studio, we're imagining that rather than anything too CONTROVERSIAL, it'll be more like a cross between Borat and Elf, which absolutely isn't a bad thing, right?

Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas and Anna Faris also star, while Borat's Larry Charles is the director.