‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ Faces Theater Boycott Calls After Trailer Sparks Backlash

Sacha Baron Cohen has consistently embraced controversy, crafting a career that thrives on pushing satire into challenging realms. However, his latest endeavor is testing the limits of that approach in today’s cultural landscape, more than twenty years after the character first catapulted him to fame.

The character in question is Ali G, the intentionally clueless wannabe rapper who debuted on British television in 1998 before starring in the 2002 film ‘Ali G Indahouse.’ Now, Cohen is reviving the character for ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?,’ a mockumentary that marks his feature directorial debut, showcasing Ali G’s attempts to restart his career over two decades after his last cinematic appearance.

Since the trailer’s release, criticism of the film has surged, with detractors accusing the character of relying on outdated and racist stereotypes. In the footage, Cohen dons fake dreadlocks and a Rastafarian hat while discussing his aspiration to be an “absent” father, imagery and dialogue that have reignited long-standing critiques of the character’s origins.

This criticism has escalated into a coordinated campaign. Media monitoring platform NewsCord has initiated an effort urging cinemas globally not to screen the film, claiming Cohen is using satire as a “cover for enforcing racist stereotypes.” Reports indicate that this campaign has resulted in over 36,000 emails sent to major theater chains as part of the initiative.

The campaign’s messaging heavily references long-standing critiques of the character, including a 2000 report where Black British comedians reportedly described Ali G as functioning as “an alibi for racism,” allowing audiences to laugh at Black street culture while distancing themselves from actual prejudice. Supporters of the boycott argue that the character has not aged well, with one critic stating online that “Black people don’t dress like that anymore.”

Reports briefly circulated that UK exhibitor Picturehouse Cinemas had agreed to boycott the film after the chain stated it had “no current plans” to screen it. However, this response has since been clarified as standard practice for unreleased titles rather than a formal decision to block the movie, and no cinema chains have confirmed plans to ban the film. The U.K. Cinema Association has also countered the broader notion that theaters should act as cultural gatekeepers, asserting that programming decisions should reflect audience demand rather than external pressure campaigns.

Cohen himself seemed to foresee the backlash before it fully emerged. When sharing the trailer earlier this month, he remarked, “In an age where a comedian’s career can be ended by a single un-PC joke, I thought I’d play it safe and bring this guy back,” a comment interpreted as a preemptive response to the kind of criticism now surrounding the film.

An Amazon MGM Studios release, ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ is set to hit theaters on Friday, October 23, giving audiences the opportunity to weigh in on whether the character’s satire still resonates more than two decades after his original debut.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!