The Dictator

The Dictator is a 2012 American political satire black comedy film directed by Larry Charles and written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer. It stars Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen – the dictator of the fictional Republic of Wadiya who visits the United States – alongside Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley. Producers Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel said that Baron Cohen's character was inspired by real-life dictators with personality cults, such as Kim Jong Il of North Korea, Idi Amin of Uganda, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Bokassa I of the Central African Empire, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, and Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan. Despite the Republic of Wadiya being located in real-life Eritrea, its own dictator, Isaias Afwerki, was not referenced as inspiration. The film's opening credits sarcastically dedicate it "in loving memory" to Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011. The Dictator was released on May 16, 2012, by Paramount Pictures, and received mixed reviews from critics. It was a box office success, grossing $190 million.