Director TIM BURTON has slammed reports SACHA BARON COHEN has signed up to star in upcoming film SWEENEY TODD, insisting talks with the BORAT funnyman are far from concluded.
Earlier this month (NOV06), media outlets claimed Cohen had landed the coveted villain role of ADOLFO PIRELLI opposite leading man JOHNNY DEPP and Burton's partner HELENA BONHAM CARTER.
But Burton tells movie magazine Empire, "It's very early days of discussions.
I don't know that got out there. The internet is a very strange place." The film adaptation of STEPHEN SONDHEIM's musical is scheduled to begin filming in February (07).