Sacha Baron Cohen’s forthcoming Ali G film is already facing boycott calls

Sacha Baron Cohen’s revival of his character Ali G has already sparked controversy in the U.K., where one theater chain has replied to a boycott campaign to say they have no plans to show his new movie.

Earlier this week, Cohen released the trailer for an upcoming fly-in-the-wall documentary similar to Borat. The new film, titled Ali G: Who Iz I?, will be released by Amazon MGM and see Baron Cohen alongside unsuspecting members of the public while in character as Ali G.

The character, who Baron Cohen originated in 1998, previously featured in a 2002 narrative feature film titled Ali G Indahouse.

While some fans heralded his return, others believe the character to be outdated. The British news comparison site NewsCord launched a campaign calling on theaters to boycott the film, writing: “Black British comedians called the character 'an alibi for racism' in 2000; Jeanette Winterson asked what separates it from the Black and White Minstrels; Kazakh and Arab organisations documented the harm of the catalogue behind it. Sony Pictures UK is selling it with the line ‘He iz back. We ain't liable.’”

They added: “The screens belong to the chains, and a booking is a choice.”

At the time of writing, the site claims that 37,658 emails have been sent in support of their campaign.

They are already claiming victory after U.K. chain Picturehouse Cinemas, which operates 25 theaters, announced they will not be showing the film.

In a statement to Metro, Picturehouse said: “We currently do not have any plans to screen this film on its release.”

Around the time of his debut, comedians including Curtis Walker and Felix Dexter criticized Baron Cohen’s creation.

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“I feel a lot of the humour is laughing at Black street culture and it is being celebrated because it allowed the liberal middle classes to laugh at that culture in a safe context where they can retain their sense of political correctness,” said Dexter of The Real McCoy comedy series.

Speaking about Ali G in a 2016 appearance on WTF With Marc Maron, Baron Cohen said he “couldn’t really exist” because he is so stupid, adding: “Part of Ali G was an attempt, subtly, to slightly undermine the establishment.”

The plot synopsis for the new film reads: “After 20 years spent “chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’”, Ali G is shocked to discover that his long-term girlfriend, Julie, is eight months pregnant. Faced with an extra mouth to feed, he gets off his batty and heads to America to reclaim his former glory… but soon encounters adversaries who will ultimately threaten his and his child’s very existence.”

It is set to be released on October 23.