In one of the more surprising news items of the week, Sacha Baron Cohen is to headline a movie based on Mandrake the Magician.

A Mandrake movie has been lurking in development since Warner Brothers announced the project back in 2012. Many presumed that the film was never going to happen, but The Tracking Board is now reporting that the Borat and Ali G star is to play the magical hero in a film directed by Get Hard’s Etan Cohen.

The character of Mandrake debuted way back in 1934, created by Lee Falk. A specialist in illusion, magic, and hypnosis, he’d initially battle the bad guys alongside African Prince (and strongest man in the world), Lothar. Of course, to a generation, Mandrake and Lothar are fondly remembered as two members of the mid-80s Defenders of the Earth cartoon series (“Master of magic, spells and illusion. Enemies crumble in fear and confusion. Mandrake!”), where they teamed with Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and a bunch of annoying kids.

The live-action Mandrake has previously had Jonathan Rhys Meyers regularly touted as taking the titular role, but that’s now obviously a non-issue with Sacha Baron Cohen having landed the gig.

As ever, expect more on Mandrake the Magician as it develops.