Ali G’s back in new film Ali G: Who Iz I?
Brace yourself: Sasha Baron Cohen is reviving Ali G in a new mockumentary — and, for the first time, he’s the one calling the shots.
If you thought Sacha Baron Cohen had said goodbye to his old characters for good, think again. After blowing up with Da Ali G Show back in the day and single-handedly hijacking pop culture with Borat, Cohen has circled back round to where it all started. Yes, Ali G is back.
The new film, Ali G: Who Iz I?, has just unveiled its first trailer via Amazon MGM Studios and is set to hit cinemas on 23 October. Cohen's clearly not out of ideas yet – or running out of disguises.
Ali G: Who Iz I? lands in UK cinemas on 23 October 2026.
The Premise
So, what’s he up to this time? In a classic bit of Cohen secrecy, the whole project was kept tightly under wraps. Nobody had a clue until he popped up dressed as Ali G at Wimbledon, apparently confusing the locals and setting the rumour mill spinning. A couple of dodgy leaks later, and now we’ve finally got the details: Ali G is plunging headfirst into the world of social media, desperate to look current and stay "relevant" in a very post-2000s world. He’s making TikToks now. Because of course he is.
The big comedic wrinkle: Ali G claims this is 'the first film with real people, not actors', and the film follows him with a documentary crew. Once again, Cohen's leaning into meta-mockumentary territory, running circles round reality and parody like only he can.
Cohen at the Helm
For the first time, Cohen is actually directing a film starring one of his own iconic characters. He’s back in his professional prankster element, though it’s pretty clear that the days of fooling unsuspecting victims are behind him – at least with the old faces. After Borat became an international meme, Cohen’s fame turned into its own punchline. Most people clock the act now, which made it harder for him to slip in under the radar with his old aliases. He even leaned into that for Borat 2, where his infamous Kazakh reporter spent half the film dodging fans who wanted selfies more than scandalous interviews.
Since then, Cohen’s rolled out a whole new set of alter egos for his Showtime series Who is America?: an ex-Mossad agent, a tinfoil-hatted pseudo-journalist, a cringingly liberal academic, a British ex-con who hasn't quite moved on, some cartoonishly wealthy Italian, and even a Finnish YouTuber. Still, nothing beats the old magic of Ali G in a shell suit trying – and failing – to act like the saviour of ‘da yoof’.