Sacha Baron Cohen has returned to his famous satirical persona in the first official trailer for the upcoming mockumentary Ali G: Who Iz I?, released by Amazon MGM Studios.
The new feature film is scheduled to premiere in United States cinemas on October 23, following a secret production process.
The plot of Ali G: Who Iz I?
According to the official synopsis, the story begins after two decades of partying, excess, and a carefree lifestyle for the Staines-based character. Ali G receives an unexpected shock when he discovers that his long-time girlfriend Julie, played by actress Morgana Robinson, is eight months pregnant.
Confronted with his upcoming parental responsibilities, Ali G decides to travel to the United States in a bid to reclaim his former fame and glory. However, after arriving in America, he quickly comes up against hostile adversaries who place both his own future and the safety of his unborn child at risk.
Origins and return of the character
Cohen created the Ali G character in 1998 for the Channel 4 satirical television program The 11 O'Clock Show. The breakout success of the character led to his own spin-off series, Da Ali G Show, in the early 2000s, before making the jump to feature films in the 2002 comedy Ali G Indahouse, directed by Succession director Mark Mylod.
As reported by Variety, the Ali G character became known for conducting deadpan interviews with prominent public figures, including linguist Noam Chomsky, veteran journalist Andy Rooney, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
Secret production and creative team
Filming for Ali G: Who Iz I? was carried out under strict secrecy, adopting the same covert shooting methods Cohen used for his previous mockumentary features Borat and Brüno, as well as his television series Who Is America?. Cohen's signature comedic style relies on disguising himself as extreme personalities to capture candid, unscripted responses from real people.
The feature serves as Cohen's debut as a film director. In addition to starring and directing, Cohen wrote the screenplay and produced the project through his production company, Four by Two Films, while Petr Jákl and Emily Komp serve as executive producers.
