Key Takeaways

  • Sacha Baron Cohen dropped the first trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I?, bringing back his most controversial character for a mockumentary shot secretly like his Borat films.
  • Backlash started within days of the announcement, with a UK campaign pushing cinemas not to screen it.
  • I think this could go either way, and honestly the fact that it might blow up is probably exactly what Cohen wants.

Jump to:

Ali G has been dormant for over two decades and Sacha Baron Cohen just decided this was the moment to bring him back. I saw the trailer for Who Iz I? and I had two reactions back to back. First, I laughed. Second, I thought about how many people were about to be furious online within the hour. I was right on both counts.

What’s In the Trailer

Cohen is reprising the yellow tracksuit and the fake hip-hop journalist persona, and the plot has Ali heading back to America after finding out his girlfriend Julie, played by Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant. What makes this one different from 2002’s Ali G Indahouse is the format. This isn’t a scripted comedy, it’s a mockumentary, shot secretly the same way Borat was, meaning real people and real situations get pulled into it. Cohen is also directing for the first time in his career, which is a bigger deal than it might sound. He’s spent almost thirty years perfecting how to stage these interactions, and now he’s the one calling the shots behind the camera too.

Who Iz I? hits theaters October 23, 2026, and if the trailer is any indication, Cohen hasn’t softened the character one bit to make him more palatable in 2026. That’s either the whole point or the whole problem, depending on who you ask.

The Backlash

The backlash showed up fast. Within three days of the announcement, there was already a UK campaign urging theaters not to screen the film, and social media lit up calling the trailer’s version of Ali G a racist caricature. This isn’t new territory for Cohen. He caught similar heat with the original Ali G character back in the early 2000s and again with every Borat release since. The difference is the internet reacts a lot faster and a lot louder in 2026 than it did in 2002.

I get the criticism. Ali G as a character was always built on ambiguity that made some people uncomfortable, and that discomfort hasn’t gone away just because the character has been on ice for twenty years. But I’d also point out that Cohen has never made these characters as an accident. He knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s built a whole career on people arguing about whether it’s brilliant satire or something else entirely.

My Take

Here’s where I land. I don’t think Cohen owes anybody a softer version of a character that was never meant to be comfortable in the first place. If you found the original funny, you’ll probably find this funny too. If you didn’t, this trailer isn’t going to change your mind, and it’s not trying to.

What actually interests me is the mockumentary angle. Doing that in 2026, when everyone has a phone out and half the people Cohen approaches are going to recognize him instantly, is a legitimately harder trick to pull off than it was twenty years ago. If he pulled it off, that’s the real story here, not the outrage cycle.

If you need a refresher on where Ali G started, I went back and revisited some of the comedy movies from that era this week, and it’s wild how much the genre has shifted since then. Cohen’s other work from around that time, like The Dictator, followed the same playbook of pushing people’s buttons on purpose. If you want the full history before Who Iz I? hits theaters, Da Ali G Show’s complete series is still the best starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Ali G: Who Iz I? come out?

The movie is set to hit theaters on October 23, 2026.

Is Who Iz I a mockumentary like Borat?

Yes. Unlike the scripted 2002 film Ali G Indahouse, this one was reportedly shot secretly with real people and real situations, following the same approach as Cohen’s Borat movies.

Why are people upset about the Ali G trailer?

Backlash started within days of the announcement, including a UK campaign urging cinemas not to screen the film, with critics calling the character’s portrayal a racist caricature.

Is Sacha Baron Cohen directing the movie?

Yes, this marks Cohen’s feature directorial debut.

What is the plot of Who Iz I?

Ali G heads back to America after learning his girlfriend Julie, played by Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant.