HBO Max and Cartoon Network announced a new family-oriented animated special called “Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth” from Sacha Baron Cohen, Greg Daniels, Mike Judge and Michael Koman. Baron Cohen is set to star.
“Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth” is set in the mythical “Town of Fools” that has long existed in Yiddish folktakes and shares the original stories’ absurdist humor and interpretive questioning in a nod to Jewish intellectual traditions. Narrated by Baron Cohen, the special will present a new take on the exaggerated antics and conflicts of the town.
“This pitch was so hilarious; we just knew the HBO Max audience needed to get a dose of this original brand of storytelling. ‘Chelm: The Smartest Place on Earth’ is a perfect pairing of comedy and satire, and no one does that combination better than Sacha, Greg, Mike and Michael,” said Amy Friedman, head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros. “This unique project will breathe new, hysterical life into the nonsensical Chelmic wisdom that originated from this imaginary city of folks who aren’t quite the sharpest tools in the shed.”
Baron Cohen, known for “Borat” and “Borat Subsequence Moviefilm,” is developing the special with Greg Daniels and Mike Judge, the “King of the Hill” helmers who recently formed animation company Bandera Entertainment, as well as “Nathan For You” creator Michael Koman. Koman is also attached to write the special. Baron Cohen, Daniels, Judge and Koman serve as executive producers along with Bandera president Dustin Davis.
