Universal appears to be close to signing a $42.5 million deal for worldwide distribution rights to Sacha Baron Cohen's next project, Bruno, according to Variety. The film would be based on his fashion victim alter ego featured in Da Ali G Show.

Posing as an Austrian TV reporter who's notably gay, Cohen wormed his way into style hot spots like New York's Fashion Week, getting people to say outrageous things about the fashion world, such as condemning the unstylish to concentration camps.

Bidding for Cohen's next film has attracted interest from multiple studios and comes just before 20th Century Fox opens Cohen's "Borat" this Friday.

While Bruno is expected to shoot in a manner similar to that of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, featuring interview segments with real people unaware that the Bruno character is a put-on, Cohen may have to go beyond the fashion world to find suitable subjects.

Bruno was released July 10th, 2009 and stars Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten, Clifford Bañagale, Chibundu Orukwowu, Chigozie Orukwowu, Josh Meyers, Toby Hoguin, Robert Huerta. The film is directed by Larry Charles.