Ali G Is Back — and He's About to Be a Dad
Twenty years after the fictional hip-hop journalist from Staines last graced screens in a major way, Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing Ali G back for a full feature film. Amazon MGM released the official trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? on August 25, offering the first real look at a project Cohen had kept tightly under wraps — and confirming an October 23 theatrical release date. [1]
The trailer wastes no time establishing stakes. "I've been gone for 20 years, chilling," Cohen narrates in character. "And in that time, the world went to crap. There's been Wars. Covid. And Ed Sheeran." [1]
What the Film Is Actually About
The official synopsis frames Who Iz I? as more than a simple stunt comedy. Ali G discovers that his long-term girlfriend, Julie — played by British comedian Morgana Robinson, who appears visibly pregnant throughout the trailer — is eight months along. "Faced with an extra mouth to feed, he gets off his batty and heads to America to reclaim his former glory," the synopsis explains, "but soon encounters adversaries who will ultimately threaten his and his child's very existence." [2]
That narrative spine distinguishes the film from a loose collection of pranks. Cohen's trailer teases what he describes as "the very latest firearms technology, action, drama, heartbreak, plot twists and the very latest TikTok trends." [1] Whether that framing is itself part of the joke — or a genuine signal that the film carries a more structured plot than Borat's road-movie format — remains to be seen.
Filmed in Secret, Just Like Borat
Cohen's method here is consistent with his previous work. Who Iz I? was shot covertly, following the same approach he used on Borat, Brüno, and his 2018 Showtime series Who Is America? [2] The comedian's brand depends on real, unscripted reactions from people who do not know they are being filmed with a character — a logistical challenge that requires months of concealment.
In the trailer, Cohen describes the format to his unsuspecting subjects as something new: "For the first time ever, this is with real people not actors. For more than a year we let the cameras follow me everywhere. Nothing was off limits." [1] The footage shows him attending classes, walking city streets, and appearing on various shows — all in full Ali G costume.
News that a new Ali G project was in development first surfaced in July, when Cohen was spotted in character at Wimbledon. He confirmed the film himself via Instagram, posting in character: "Dey haz finally made a documentary about me. And it ain't dat crap one about da penguins, dis one haz got at least twice as much animal sex." [2]
A Character With a Long History
Ali G first appeared on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998, a satirical news program that gave Cohen the platform to interview real public figures while playing an oblivious, tracksuit-wearing youth from the English suburbs. [1] The character's comedy has always relied on the gap between Ali G's bluster and the seriousness of his interview subjects — over the years, those have included Noam Chomsky, Andy Rooney, and Newt Gingrich. [2]
Cohen parlayed the Channel 4 segments into Da Ali G Show, which ran in the early 2000s and introduced American audiences to the character alongside two other personas: Borat Sagdiyev and the flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter Brüno. [1] A standalone Ali G feature, Ali G Indahouse, arrived in 2002, directed by Mark Mylod — who would later become known for his work on Succession. [2] That film, however, used scripted scenarios and professional actors rather than the hidden-camera format that made Borat a global phenomenon.
It was Borat (2006) and its 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, that cemented Cohen's reputation as one of the most committed and legally adventurous comedic performers working today. [1] Who Iz I? represents a deliberate return to the character that started it all.
Cohen's Biggest Creative Role Yet
Beyond performing, Cohen is taking on more creative control with this project than he has in the past. Ali G: Who Iz I? marks his directorial debut; he also serves as writer and producer under his production banner, Four by Two Films. Petr Jákl and Emily Kob are executive producers. [2]
The film arrives amid a busy stretch for Cohen. He recently played the villainous Mephisto in Marvel's Disney+ series Ironheart, and has appeared in Ladies First for Netflix and Balls Up for Prime Video. [2] Returning to the character that launched his career — and doing so as director — suggests this is a project with particular personal significance, not simply a commercial revival.
What to Watch Next
The obvious question heading into October 23 is whether Who Iz I? can recapture the cultural moment that made Borat such a phenomenon — or whether the hidden-camera format feels dated in an era of ubiquitous smartphone cameras and heightened public awareness of Cohen's methods. The trailer's emphasis on a genuine narrative arc, complete with an antagonist who threatens Ali G's family, hints that Cohen is trying to evolve the formula rather than simply repeat it. Whether real-world subjects remain convincingly unaware, and whether the film's comedy lands alongside its apparent thriller elements, will determine how the project is received when it hits theaters this fall.