Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Ali G' comeback sparks boycott calls as 36,000 emails target cinemas

Sacha Baron Cohen's return as Ali G is facing a growing backlash in the United Kingdom, with campaigners urging cinemas to reject the upcoming film Ali G: Who Iz I? before it reaches theatres in October.

The controversy intensified after Amazon MGM released the trailer for the secretive mockumentary, which brings Cohen back as the fictional character for the first time on the big screen in over two decades. According to Variety, NewsCord, a UK based media monitoring platform, launched a campaign asking cinemas around the world not to screen the film. The organisation said it had generated more than 36,000 emails to cinemas by August 28.

The campaign has focused on the character's use of exaggerated hip hop slang, fake dreadlocks and references to Jamaican and Black British culture. Critics have argued that Ali G now represents an outdated caricature and have questioned whether the character's original satirical purpose still works for contemporary audiences.

Ali G was first created by Cohen in 1998 for Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show. The character was presented as a white British man attempting to imitate elements of urban British and Jamaican culture, with much of the comedy built around his ignorance and the reactions of people he interviewed. Cohen later developed the character for Da Ali G Show, which became a major part of his international breakthrough.

The character previously appeared in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse, but the new project takes a different approach. Ali G: Who Iz I? is structured as a mockumentary and follows Ali G as he attempts to revive his career after years away from the spotlight. The official trailer indicates that his long term girlfriend is pregnant, prompting him to travel to the United States in an attempt to rebuild his profile.

Cohen filmed the project in secret, following a method he previously used for Borat, Brüno and Who Is America?. The film also marks his feature directorial debut. He serves as writer and producer alongside his directorial duties.

Cohen has also appeared to anticipate criticism surrounding the character's return. In a post accompanying the trailer, he joked that bringing Ali G back was a way of playing it safe at a time when comedians can face consequences for politically incorrect material. The remark quickly became part of the online discussion surrounding the film.

The boycott campaign has not, however, resulted in a confirmed widespread refusal by cinemas to screen the film. A message from Picturehouse was incorrectly presented by NewsCord as evidence that the chain had decided against showing Ali G: Who Iz I?. The cinema's response was instead a standard statement explaining that the film had not yet been booked, meaning no final decision had been made.

The UK Cinema Association has also defended cinemas' ability to make their own programming decisions. Phil Clapp told Variety that cinemas are not intended to act as censors or arbiters of public taste and can decide whether to screen a film based on the expected response from their audiences.

Despite the criticism, the reaction has not been universally negative. Some prominent figures, including Kevin Durant and A$AP Rocky, have expressed enthusiasm for Cohen's return as Ali G. The divided response reflects the character's unusual history, with supporters viewing the persona as satire while critics argue that its methods have become increasingly difficult to separate from the stereotypes it originally sought to mock.

Ali G: Who Iz I? is scheduled to open in cinemas on October 23, 2026. The film arrives 24 years after Ali G Indahouse, placing Cohen's controversial character firmly back in the spotlight at a time when its original comedy is being reassessed by audiences and critics.