Anthony Hopkins to star as baddie in Arabian Nights

I think it’s fair to say that Anthony Hopkins is firmly in the Harrison Ford portion of his career, where he’ll basically take any role they throw at him as long as they throw it with a large chunk of cash. (Though to Sir Hopkins’ credit, he’s still turning in respectable performances, which can’t always be said for Ford, who seems to be sleepwalking through films lately.) Hopkins’ latest cash grab is ARABIAN NIGHTS, an upcoming action-adventure film from Chuck Russell, the director of THE SCORPION KING.

Hopkins will play Pharotu, an evil sorcerer who killed Sinbad’s love in a power hungry craze. He’ll co-star with Liam “Don’t Call Me Thor” Hemsworth, who’s set to play a young commander who joins forces with Sinbad, Ali Baba and The Genie (who have yet to be cast) to fight Pharotu.

Hopkins, who just wrapped production on Marvel’s THOR, is currently filming the supernatural thriller THE RITE and would begin work on NIGHTS later this summer. If you’re looking for something slightly less genre from Hopkins, he does have a role in Woody Allen’s forthcoming YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER…