Ali G takes centre stage in the first trailer for a new film that’s been shot in secret by Sacha Baron Cohen – and it’ll come in the form of a fly-in-the-wall documentary similar to Borat. The swaggering wannabe gangster previously starred in his own show and 2002 narrative feature film, titled Ali G Indahouse. This follow-up, titled Ali G: Who Iz I?, will see Baron Cohen take on unsuspecting members of the public much in the same way he did as characters Borat and Brüno, as well as in political satire series Who is America?, which aired in 2018.
Another moment reveals that Baron Cohen successfully pranked Brigadier General C Stewart Rodeheaver, the US Army general who commanded a combat team in Iraq, whom he interviews in character as Ali G. The plot synopsis 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.” The film is being released in cinemas on 23 October.
Making his debut in 1998 on the Channel 4 series The 11 O’Clock Show, Ali G became a comedy favourite thanks to his clueless interview questions that made for surreal interactions with his guests. Noam Chomsky, Donald Trump, and Newt Gingrich are among those to have been interviewed by the character. Ali G proved to be such a hit among fans that the character became the focus of his own series.
Da Ali G Show ran for three seasons in the early Noughties before coming to an end in 2004. Cohen, 54, won over American fans when the series aired in the US on HBO. The forthcoming film, which is yet to be officially announced, follows the success of 2002’s Ali G Indahouse, which also starred Michael Gambon and Charles Dance.
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Not everyone was a fan of Ali G, however. Around the time of his debut, comedians including Curtis Walker and Felix Dexter criticised Cohen’s creation. Speaking about Ali G in a 2016 appearance on WTF With Marc Maron, Cohen said he “couldn’t really exist” because he is so stupid.
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