Sacha Baron Cohen has released a new poster for Ali G Who Iz I, and the reaction was immediate. The October film release has already reopened an old argument around Ali G, with critics online rejecting the character’s return before the movie arrives.
Ali G Indahouse in 2002
Ali G first appeared in Ali G Indahouse in 2002, where the character was framed as a poser through an exaggerated imitation of urban hip-hop culture. The film also cast him as an accidental political activist who becomes a member of Parliament, which is part of why the character still lands as a provocation rather than a safe nostalgia play.
That history matters because the new poster is not being read as a neutral publicity image. It shows Cohen posing as Ali G in an exaggerated royal blue large puffer coat, and the response on X made clear that many viewers see the character’s return as a bad bet rather than a routine revival.
X turns hostile fast
One reaction on X asked, “Who the hell is watching this guys bulls--t in 2026,” while another said, “You’re too old to be doing s--t like this.” Other posts were equally blunt: “Which one of you f------ asked for this?!!?” and “Sad that he hasn’t been able to create any decent new characters in 25 years.”
Another reaction said, “I can just tell that this movie is gonna be awful,” and a separate post added, “Borat 2 was bad because it took so long and only had the Rudy Giuliani thing going for it, nobody gives a f--k about Ali G in 2026.” The volume of that reaction suggests the issue is not just the poster itself but the willingness to bring back a character that a slice of the audience already associates with fatigue.
Rebel Wilson's 2024 claims
Rebel Wilson also remains tied to the wider backlash around Cohen. In Rebel Rising, she alleged that he pressured her to remove her clothing and asked her to perform an explicit and unscripted act on the set of The Brothers Grimsby, and the specific details of those allegations were removed from UK and Australian editions of the memoir.
Cohen vehemently denied Wilson’s claims, but the controversy did not disappear; it now hangs over a new Ali G rollout that is trying to sell a return while the public conversation is still loaded. With the film due in October, the practical test is whether the campaign can move beyond backlash long enough to turn curiosity into attention, or whether the poster becomes the story before the release date does.
