Ali G Film Heads to Prime Video as Republican Threatens Lawsuit
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sacha Baron Cohen stars in and makes his feature directorial debut with *Ali G: Who Iz I?*, playing Ali G, a hip-hop journalist he originated on *Da Ali G Show*.
The Hollywood Reporter - Morgana Robinson plays Ali G’s girlfriend, who is eight months pregnant in the film.
The Hollywood Reporter - Amazon MGM Studios is the film’s studio.
The Hollywood Reporter - Frank Scheck reviewed the film for The Hollywood Reporter, describing it as having “plenty of laughs, to be sure, but many dead spots as well.”
Coming Soon - Michael Aboud, chair of the El Paso County Republican Party, called Sacha Baron Cohen a “pervert” and said he plans to take legal action over his unwitting appearance in *Ali G: Who Iz I?*.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - *Ali G: Who Iz I?* had a two-day theatrical run and is set to stream on Prime Video.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film follows Ali G after he learns his girlfriend is eight months pregnant and travels to America to prepare for the child’s arrival.
The Hollywood Reporter - An AI-generated email campaign urged global theater chains to boycott the film; no cinema chains supported the ban.
The Hollywood Reporter - Amazon MGM did not report grosses from the theatrical release.
The Hollywood Reporter - Baron Cohen said the comedy’s “core joke” is that a white expert or high-status politician believes a “white moron” interviewing them is real, which he said “slightly undermines the power of the establishment.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Baron Cohen posted in character on Instagram: “Dere’s 14400 minutes in a day meanin u’ll be able to watch it 161 times a day for de rest of ya lives for free.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Ali G debuted in director Mark Mylod’s 2002 film *Ali G Indahouse*. Baron Cohen’s *Borat* (2006), *Brüno* (2009), and *Borat Subsequent Moviefilm* (2020) also featured characters originating on *Da Ali G Show*; the 2020 sequel went directly to Prime Video and received two Academy Award nominations.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - *Da Ali G Show* debuted in the U.K. and later aired on HBO; the film’s story takes Ali G to America.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - *Da Ali G Show* debuted in the U.K. in 2000.
The Hollywood Reporter - The theatrical run began Friday and lasted two days; the film is set to arrive on Prime Video on Wednesday.
The Hollywood Reporter - *Borat Subsequent Moviefilm* was released in October 2020, shortly before the U.S. presidential election.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - The theatrical strategy was intended to create a special experience and add urgency to seeing the film in theaters before streaming.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - The film uses the style of *Borat* and *Brüno*, in which unsuspecting people become the focus of social commentary.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 04:11 UTC)
Sacha Baron Cohen stars in and makes his feature directorial debut with *Ali G: Who Iz I?*, returning as the hip-hop journalist who travels to America after learning his girlfriend, played by Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant. The film had a two-day theatrical run and is set to stream on Prime Video on Wednesday, while an AI-generated campaign urging theater chains to boycott it drew no support from cinemas. El Paso County Republican Party chair Michael Aboud, who appeared in the film without realizing it, called Cohen a “pervert” and said he plans to take legal action.