Sacha Baron Cohen has completed a new Ali G movie, marking the character's return to the big screen 24 years after the release of Ali G Indahouse. The project, shot in secret, has wrapped production, with filming locations including Oxfordshire, where Baron Cohen was spotted in character last summer, and in the United States. According to The InSneider, a title and release date have not yet been confirmed, and representatives for the star declined to comment.
Return of the West Staines Massiv
Ali G, the shellsuit-wearing naïf who energetically culturally appropriates as part of the west Staines massiv, first appeared on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998 as the 'voice of da yoof'. The character quickly gained popularity, leading to his own show in the early 2000s. Although Baron Cohen declared both Ali G and Borat retired in 2007, both have made comebacks. Borat returned in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm in 2020, while Ali G made appearances at the 2012 British Comedy Awards, in the TV show Ali G: Rezurection, and at the 2016 Oscars.
Secret Filming and Unsuspecting Interviews
Shot in secret, similar to much of Borat and 2009's Brüno, the new Ali G film is believed to feature interviews with unsuspecting pundits. Previous audiences conducted by Ali G include a bemused Newt Gingrich and an outraged Tony Benn. The project was reportedly delayed by the series of writers' and actors' strikes in the US in 2023, but has now been completed.
Baron Cohen's Recent Work
Baron Cohen's other credits include The Trial of the Chicago 7, for which he received an Oscar nomination, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Dictator, Hugo, Les Misérables, and the Madagascar films. His most recent movie, Netflix's gender-swap comedy Ladies First, was poorly received by critics. On television, he starred in the dramatic series The Spy and Disclaimer, as well as the incendiary 2019 sketch show Who Is America?
