‘Doesn’t really work now’: first trailer for Ali G’s new mockumentary disappoints fans
Sacha Baron Cohen is suiting back up as Ali G, and the first trailer already has fans sounding off ahead of release.
The first trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? lays out a loud new premise: after learning his girlfriend of eight years, Julie, is pregnant, Ali G decides it ’s time to act like a grown‑up. That plan pushes him to America in a bid to claw back his old fame — and, per the footage, lands him in trouble with powerful enemies when things take a darker turn.
It’s Sacha Baron Cohen’s first time suiting up as Ali G in nearly two decades, and the movie is set to hit theaters on Oct. 23. The trailer is the first real look at how the character — born in the late ’90s — is being reintroduced for 2026 audiences.
Backstory
Ali G’s path from cult character to big screen, in brief:
- The 11 O’Clock Show (Channel 4) — Cohen’s breakout U.K. TV debut as Ali G
- The Da Ali G Show — the spin-off that amplified his prank interviews
- Ali G Indahouse (2002) — the first feature film built around the character
Fans split on the comeback
Reaction to the trailer on X arrived fast and divided, with some viewers questioning whether the style still hits and others thrilled to see the swagger back.
Chris Castellani on X:
I love Ali G, but it feels like SBC has lost his fastball.
Anti-Terran wrote:
He was very funny and popular to most boys, especially when I was a kid, but it doesn't really work now, not this format at least. Cunk on Earth I would say is the current "successor" to what Ali G did once, she is hilarious
MK said:
Ah yes my favorite israeli humor where the character just makes fun of a race and just about every marginalized minority. Can’t wait!!!
Micheal added:
So this is what we're doing in Hollywood: we're running out of ideas. I need to hurry up and send my script off because the movie is looking really bad right now
Others welcomed the trailer’s throwback chaos.
@AusTripa posted:
New Ali G trailer looks funny af. Looking forward to a good comedy. They have been few and far between recently.
Coinkong wrote:
First trailer killed it.. See y'all in Oct 23
Classic Mixtapes Vault confessed:
I don't want to watch another one of these, but I know I will
And Harv went all in:
Wow, this might be the funniest trailer I’ve ever seen
Ali G: Who Iz I? opens in theaters on Oct. 23.