Sacha Baron Cohen to star in Aaron Sorkin helmed Trial of the Chicago 7

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

At long last, Aaron Sorkin is set to direct the THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 film. Having written the screenplay himself years ago, Sorkin, the man who made a name for himself penning projects like MONEYBALL, THE SOCIAL NETWORK and THE WEST WING is seemingly the perfect fit for the upcoming political drama. Having made a strong directorial debut with MOLLY'S GAME earlier this year, it's evident that Sorkin is more than capable of directing his own material.

Based on the federal conspiracy trial that occured in 1969, THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 recalls the time when seven defendants were charged by the government with crimes related to conspiracy and anti-war protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner sat on trial for five months as a very biased Judge Julius Hoffman made his opinions about the protest leaders very clear. 

The trial mesmerized viewers across the nation, sparking a political undermining that shook the very foundation of our country, and signified a turning point in how the public perceived the Vietnam War.

Although Steven Spielberg was originally tapped to direct the project, the iconic filmmaker has decided to instead produce the feature with his company Amblin Entertainment. When Spielberg attempted to revive the script back in 2013, he brought on Paul Greengrass to direct, but arguments over the budget led to the director leaving the project and the film being postponed once again. Now, as the film is being brought back to life, Spielberg belives Sorkin to be the perfect man to take the reigns.

Coming fresh off of WHO IS AMERICA? Sacha Baron Cohen is in talks to take on the role of Abbie Hoffman, the man who co-founded the Youth International Party, a.k.a. the "Yippies". Cohen was originally slated to play the activist in 2008, and it appears that Sorkin still sees him as the man to bring the famous demonstrator to the big screen going forward. Will Smith was also considered for one of the defendants, but it is unclear at this time whether or not that casting is set in stone.