Sacha Baron Cohen has brought one of his most recognisable creations back into the spotlight, with the first trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? arriving on Tuesday and teasing the return of the comedian’s famously clueless wannabe gangster.
The newly released teaser finds Ali G pitching a fresh stunt-style documentary, while acknowledging that he has been away from screens for two decades. In typical Ali fashion, he reflects on everything that has unfolded during his absence, from Covid and wars to, as he puts it, Ed Sheeran.
Morgana Robinson appears as Ali’s longtime girlfriend Julie, the character immortalised in the 2002 Ali G and Shaggy track Me Julie. The trailer shows Julie becoming pregnant, though Ali is predictably slow to grasp the situation, mistaking her pregnancy test for a vape.
Set for release on 23 October, the film also marks Baron Cohen’s directorial debut. The 54-year-old actor reportedly shot the project in secret, with filming said to have taken place across both the UK and the US.
Opening the trailer in character, Baron Cohen says: “Yo, it’s me Ali G. I’ze been gone for 20 years chillin’ and in that time the world went to crap. There was Covid. Wars. And Ed Sheeran. But I’ze gonna get back on top with a brand new ting called a documentary…”
The first trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? debuted on Tuesday, signalling the comeback of Sacha Baron Cohen’s iconic wannabe gangster persona
In the teaser, Ali G introduces a new documentary project while joking about his 20-year disappearance from screens and the world events that unfolded while he was away
Julie, Ali’s longtime girlfriend and the focus of the 2002 Ali G and Shaggy song Me Julie, is shown pregnant in the clip, though Ali appears to confuse the pregnancy test with a vape
‘For the first time ever, this is with real people not actors. For more than a year we let the cameras follow me everywhere. Nothing was off limits.’
The synopsis for the film reads: ‘After twenty years spent “chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’”, Ali G is shocked to discover that his long-term girlfriend, Julie, is 8 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….
‘Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film, ALI G: WHO IZ I? marks his directorial debut and will be released in cinemas on October 23 by Amazon MGM Studios.
The film follows 2002’s Ali G Indahouse, which featured a glittering cast including Martin Freeman, Charles Dance and Michael Gambon.
On Monday, the official Ali G Instagram account shared a poster for the film featuring the star in a vast puffer jacket adorned with the name of the film.
An accompanying caption reading: ‘Check it, de worlds biggest puffa worn by the worlds biggest puffer. Respek de erb respek ya nan and respek me trailer droppin tomorrow ‘, with the wording being a nod to Ali’s text speak in the first film.
He is seen locking lips with ‘His Julie’ as they navigate the pregnancy
He was seen wearing a vast puffer jacket
On Monday, the official Ali G Instagram account shared a poster for the film featuring the star in a vast puffer jacket adorned with the name of the film
He also featured in a video standing in front of Ali’s iconic yellow car and rapping about the release of the film to the tune of Humpty Dumpty.
Sacha teased the return of the comedy legend with a surprise appearance at Wimbledon in July, where he donned the character’s trademark look of bling jewellery paired with a tracksuit and sunglasses.
Last year, it was first reported Sacha was ‘bringing back his iconic comic creation, 27 years after the character first appeared on screens – where he was staged as the “voice of youth” on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in Autumn 1998.
Subsequently, he became the title character of Da Ali G Show in the early 2000s; before starring as the titular character in Ali G Indahouse.
In a 2007 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Sacha announced that Ali G had been retired. However, he resurrected Ali G at the 2012 British Comedy Awards to accept his Outstanding Achievement Award.
He returned to TV as Ali G with Ali G Rezurection in 2014, which featured new footage of Ali G while showing old highlights of Da Ali G Show.
Sacha is pictured in character in 2003
Sacha teased the return of the comedy legend with a surprise appearance at Wimbledon in July, where he donned the character’s trademark look of bling jewellery paired with a tracksuit and sunglasses and pretended to hand out weed
