Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G to return in new film amid character's 'racist stereotypes' controversy

Ali G’s comeback has already sparked controversy. After nearly 20 years away, actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing one of his most controversial satirical characters back to the screen in a new film. He now faces a global campaign calling for a boycott over the character’s use of “racist stereotypes.”

The new film, Ali G: Who Iz I?, was filmed in complete secrecy over the past year, according to the British newspaper the Daily Mail. The movie marks Baron Cohen’s directorial debut.

The mockumentary follows the character’s life since “the world went to hell,” alongside his pregnant girlfriend, played by actress Morgana Robinson. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on October 23 through Amazon MGM Studios, but it has already triggered a storm of criticism.

NewsCord, a British media monitoring platform, launched a campaign just one day after the trailer was released, urging movie theaters worldwide to refuse to screen the film. As of Sunday, campaign organizers said more than 41,000 emails had been sent to 15 major movie theater chains.

The activists accuse Baron Cohen of using satire as a cover to promote racism. “Ali G is a cover to laugh at Jamaican culture," the campaign wrote on X/Twitter. "The character enforces harmful stereotypes of how a Jamaican man behaves in society."

"Ali G smokes weed, is a misogynist, and does nothing meaningful in life," the campaign added. "He does this because he thinks this is what a Jamaican does. The world laughs at Ali G, but the real butt of the joke is Black people, and specifically Jamaicans."

The campaign also cited previous criticism of the character, including comments by Black comedians who called Ali G “an alibi for racism” in 2000. It also referenced author Jeanette Winterson, who questioned how the character differed from racist minstrel shows.

Sony Pictures UK’s slogan for the film, “He’s back. We’re not responsible,” only added fuel to the controversy.

Baron Cohen's sarcastic response to Ali G controversy

Baron Cohen, 54, responded defiantly on X with his characteristic sarcasm, writing, “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.”

UK Cinema Association CEO Phil Clapp addressed the boycott campaign in an interview with Variety, stressing that movie theaters do not serve as censors. “They are there to entertain the widest possible audience, not to determine the audience’s taste,” he said.

Variety: Picturehouse has not agreed to boycott Ali G film

Variety also debunked reports that the Picturehouse cinema chain had already agreed to boycott the film. The reports were based on an automated customer service response to requests for screenings that had not yet been scheduled.

Ali G first appeared on the UK’s Channel 4 in the late 1990s before becoming a cultural phenomenon. Baron Cohen retired the character in 2007 after becoming too recognizable. It remains to be seen whether audiences and critics will be as forgiving of Ali G’s return.