The new Ali G movie is stirring up backlash before it has even reached theatres, and the reasons run nearly three decades deep. Ali G: Who Iz I?, the mockumentary sequel set for release this October, has pulled Sacha Baron Cohen's most divisive character back into the spotlight. The debate around him is far from new, but the trailer has handed old arguments a brand new audience. What follows traces exactly why this comeback has become such a talking point.

As Amazon MGM Studios gears up for release, the question of what actually makes Ali G divisive becomes worth unpacking properly.

Ali G: Who Iz I? follows Sacha Baron Cohen's character two decades after his last appearance, attempting a career comeback while his girlfriend Julie, played by Morgana Robinson, sits eight months pregnant. The film borrows its format from Borat, sending Cohen into real interactions with unsuspecting people rather than sticking to scripted scenes. Amazon MGM Studios has set the theatrical release for October 23, 2026, marking Cohen's first outing as director.

The trailer shows Cohen in fake dreadlocks and a Rastafarian hat, tackling subjects like absent fatherhood and internet trends with his signature cluelessness. Cohen has described reviving the character as a safe choice in an era wary of jokes that push boundaries. That framing has done little to calm critics who see the visuals as tone-deaf rather than clever.

While the movie itself courts attention, the character's history explains why so many people were already bracing for this reaction.

Ali G, a white performer from Staines, built his persona around exaggerated slang, tracksuits, and mannerisms borrowed from Black British and Jamaican culture. The intended target was always the poser, the privileged kid pretending to belong to a culture that was not his own. Critics, however, argued the satire cut the other way, turning stereotypes into punchlines rather than exposing them.

Black British comedians raised objections as early as 2000, arguing that a white performer leaning on Black stereotypes was mimicry rather than clever satire. Author Jeanette Winterson later compared the act to old minstrel shows that British television had long since disowned. Sacha Baron Cohen's other characters, including Borat and Brüno, drew similar objections from communities who felt reduced to punchlines.

As the years passed, the character never really left public memory, and neither did the discomfort surrounding him.

Nearly thirty years after Ali G first appeared, the persona now reads as strikingly out of step with contemporary culture. Writer Afua Hirsch, who once found the character amusing, has since described it as a mix of outdated elements that no longer sit comfortably, including its treatment of women. The internet age has also made this brand of prank comedy feel far less novel than it once did.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ Faces Growing Backlash After Controversial First Trailer

Modern viewers overwhelmingly point out that neither Black communities nor imitators dress or speak the way Ali G is styled today. Some observers also note fatigue with Sacha Baron Cohen returning to an old character instead of creating something fresh at this stage of his career. A handful of critics have even connected trailer moments to Cohen's broader political stances, adding another layer to the pushback.

While public sentiment simmered online, one organized effort turned the discomfort into direct action against cinemas.

NewsCord, a UK-based media monitoring group, launched a campaign shortly after the trailer dropped, sending tens of thousands of emails to cinema chains worldwide. The messaging urged bookers at chains including Odeon, Cineworld, and Vue to refuse to screen the film entirely. The campaign framed the satire as a cover for stereotypes rather than a genuine critique of them.

Picturehouse Cinemas responded that it currently has no plans to screen the film, a statement campaigners quickly claimed as a win. Industry figures, including the head of the UK Cinema Association, pushed back on the idea that cinemas should act as gatekeepers of taste. Reports of a full boycott appear overstated, with most major chains yet to make a final call. Whether audiences embrace the comeback or reject it outright, Ali G: Who Iz I? has already proven one thing well ahead of release: the character never stopped dividing opinion.

Did Sacha Baron Cohen Sell Out? ‘Borat’ Director Thinks So, and the Internet Has Thoughts

What are your thoughts on Sacha Baron Cohen bringing Ali G back? Let us know in the comments.