Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G comeback sparks UK boycott campaign over racism claims

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G is facing a British boycott campaign accusing the revived character of racism, days after Amazon MGM Studios unveiled the trailer for his comeback mockumentary, out Oct. 23.

TL;DR

• A UK campaign group, NewsCord, says it has sent more than 44,000 emails urging cinemas to drop Ali G: Who Iz I?, according to LADbible.
• Picturehouse Cinemas said it had “no plans” to screen the film, though Variety reported no formal booking decision has been made.
• The BBFC will set the film’s UK certificate before its Oct. 23 release, and the UK Cinema Association says the screening call belongs to cinemas, not campaigners.
• Sacha Baron Cohen addressed the backlash on X, saying he brought the character back despite the risk to his career.

What is ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ about?

The film marks Baron Cohen’s feature directorial debut and reunites him with Amazon MGM Studios, the team behind “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” It is a sequel to 2002’s “Ali G Indahouse.”

The mockumentary follows Ali G after 20 years away, according to LADbible. He discovers his girlfriend Julie, played by British actor Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant, and heads to America chasing his old fame.

The film opens in UK and worldwide cinemas on Oct. 23.

Oct. 23, 2026 UK and worldwide release date Source: Amazon MGM Studios, via LADbible

Why campaigners call the reboot racist

The pushback is led by NewsCord, a UK media-monitoring group. According to World of Reel, the group accuses Baron Cohen of using satire as a “cover for enforcing racist stereotypes.”

Its campaign page cites a 2000 newspaper report in which Black British comedians called the character an “alibi for racism,” according to the Daily Beast.

Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch argued the character has aged badly since her youth. “I just knew he was mocking us,” she wrote, according to Variety, adding that the joke now reads as outdated rather than sharp.

44,814+ Emails sent to cinema chains urging a boycott, as of Aug. 31 Source: NewsCord campaign, via LADbible

How UK cinemas and the BBFC are responding

Picturehouse Cinemas said it currently has “no plans” to book the film, and NewsCord treated that as an early win, according to World of Reel. But Variety reported the reply was a standard customer-service response sent for any unscheduled release, not a formal ban.

Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said cinemas are not “censors or arbiters of public taste,” according to GBNews. Once the BBFC issues a certificate, he said, booking comes down to expected audience demand, not campaign pressure.

The Oct. 23 release also lands during the London Film Festival window, according to Variety, when UK screens are already crowded with awards contenders.

Sacha Baron Cohen fires back

Baron Cohen addressed the row directly on X. “I thought I’d play it safe and bring this guy back,” he wrote, referencing the risk of reviving a divisive character, according to the Daily Beast.

He had already teased the comeback in July, appearing in character near the Wimbledon final with a cheeky, drug-referencing Instagram caption, according to the Daily Beast.

Why this fight over an old joke matters now

Ali G was built as a satire of suburban white youths adopting Black British street culture, with the joke resting on the character’s own ignorance. But comedy standards have shifted hard since he debuted on Channel 4 in 1998.

British entertainment has faced similar reckonings before, including apologies over old sketches now judged by very different rules. The Ali G row is a live test of where that line now sits, weeks before ticket buyers can judge the film themselves.

Some commentators, including Hollywood in Toto, have suggested the row is free publicity ahead of release. Baron Cohen is also reportedly attached to a Marvel villain role, playing Mephisto in a new Ghost Rider film.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed Sept. 2, 2026.