Rebel Wilson Signs Up For Action-Comedy With Sacha Baron Cohen

14 June 2014 | 11:10 am | Staff Writer

Sony's 'Grimsby' also stars Mark Strong and Isla Fisher

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Australian funnywoman Rebel Wilson has been cast in the forthcoming Sony action-comedy Grimsby, alongside Mark Strong (Green Lantern, Kick-Ass) and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Cohen's real-life spouse Isla Fisher is also reported to have signed on to the film, which is directed by Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me) with a screenplay by Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston (Wreck-it Ralph) and previous SBC collaborator Peter Baynham, adapted from Baron Cohen and Johnston's original story.

Grimsby centres on a British black-ops agent (Strong) forced to team up with his halfwit soccer-hooligan brother (Baron Cohen) for... some reason.

We'll abstain from judgment until we know more, but given the spy spoof genre's tumultuous past (Spy Hard, anyone? No? Perhaps you'd prefer Johnny English or Spies Like Us?), it's going to take some Q-level wizardry to turn this fountain pen into a killing tool.

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No details have been revealed as to what role Wilson (or Fisher, for that matter) will fill in the film, though it will no doubt capitalise on the abundant comedic talents that have seen her ascend to A-list status off the back of cringe- and crease-worthy performances in funnyfests such as Bridesmaids, Bachelorette and Pitch Perfect.

Her US sitcom Super Fun Night was a recent casualty of Upfront Week cuts, but -- with production recently wrapping on Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb, in which she stars, and work ahead of her as she reprises her acclaimed role as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect 2 and solidifies her involvement in the Private Benjamin reboot -- the axing doesn't seem to have hurt her prospects too much.

Stay tuned for more information as it develops.