Sacha Baron Cohen is facing fresh criticism before his latest Ali G movie reaches theaters. The comedian is reviving the character for Ali G: Who Iz I?, more than two decades after his last big-screen outing. The comeback has already triggered an organized campaign against the film. Critics argue the character relies on outdated racial stereotypes, while supporters continue to defend Ali G as satire.
Campaigners are calling for the new Ali G film to be kept out of cinemas over its portrayal of race
NewsCord launched a campaign urging cinema chains to refuse screenings of Ali G: Who Iz I? The group accuses Cohen of using satire as a “cover for enforcing racist stereotypes.”
The campaign points to long-running criticism of Ali G’s exaggerated imitation of Black British and Jamaican culture. It also cites Black British comedians who criticized the character more than 20 years ago.
According to Variety, NewsCord said supporters had requested more than 36,000 emails by Friday. The Ali G movie backlash has since moved beyond social media as campaigners contact major exhibitors directly.
However, reports that one British chain had already banned the movie need more context. Picturehouse said it had “no plans” to screen the film at release.
Variety reported that this was a standard response for a title the chain had not booked. Therefore, calls to have Ali G banned from UK cinemas have not produced a confirmed nationwide ban
Cohen appeared to anticipate another Sacha Baron Cohen controversy. While sharing the trailer on X, he joked that he wanted to “play it safe” by bringing Ali G back in an era when one politically incorrect joke can end a comedian’s career.
Amazon MGM released the trailer Aug. 25. The mockumentary follows Ali G as he heads to America after learning longtime girlfriend Julie is pregnant. The movie opens Oct. 23.
Cohen had already revived Ali G at Wimbledon in July, where his Prince Harry joke fueled speculation about the then-unannounced film. The backlash is not unanimous. Variety noted that Kevin Durant and A$AP Rocky publicly supported the comeback.
For now, Amazon MGM still plans to release the film on Oct. 23. The debate over whether Ali G still works as satire continues before audiences have seen the full movie.
