UK cinema chain Picturehouse Cinemas has said it has no plans to show the upcoming Sacha Baron Cohen comedy film Ali G: Who Iz I? The entertainment company confirmed the movie, featuring the comedian's faux-streetwise poseur character Ali G, will not be shown at any of its cinemas in the country after its release in October.
The decision follows an online campaign demanding cinemas worldwide refuse to screen the movie over what it called 'satire using a cover for enforcing racist stereotypes'. The campaign, started by media watchdog platform NewsCord, alleged that Baron Cohen has 'enforced harmful stereotypes across marginalised communities through his characters'. It also claimed the film's studio, Amazon MGM, has 'revived a racist caricature'.
Picturehouse statement and campaign response
Picturehouse, which operates 25 cinemas across the UK, told Metro in a statement: 'We currently do not have any plans to screen this film on its release.'
At the time of publication, NewsCord had sent upwards of 27,000 emails from supporters to various cinemas demanding the film not be shown internationally.
Film details and Cohen's response
The trailer for the mockumentary, based on the Channel 4 comedy series, was released earlier this week, showing the fictional character ambushing unsuspecting real people and public figures. The story unfolds when Ali G discovers his longtime girlfriend Julie, now played by Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant, so he heads to America to reclaim his former glory before becoming a father.
The Borat star joked about negative reactions to the trailer on X, writing: 'In an age where a comedian's career can be ended by a single un-PC joke, I thought I'd play it safe and bring this guy back.'
Cohen made his name playing the foul-mouthed Staines massive wannabe, first appearing on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998. Despite announcing the character's retirement in 2007, the comedian has popped up here and there as Ali G in recent years, shocking a comedy club audience in Sydney in 2021 when he appeared on stage in character and performed a stand-up set. Earlier this year he made a surprise appearance at Wimbledon during the lengthy, sweltering men's final match.
Cohen's more recent credits include the gender-swap satire Ladies First, which performed well on Netflix's ranking of top films but was universally panned by critics when it dropped this May. Metro has contacted representatives for Sacha Baron Cohen and Amazon MGM for comment.
