UK cinema chain Picturehouse has announced it has no current plans to screen Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming Ali G sequel Who Iz I? after an online campaign urging theatres worldwide to boycott the film passed 35,000 emails. Ali G: Who Iz I? sees Cohen reprise his role as the fictional character of a white man who appropriates elements of hip-hop and British African-Caribbean cultures. The character first appeared on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998 before getting his own series, Da Ali G Show, in 2000, followed by the 2002 movie Ali G Indahouse. A trailer for the film arrived this week ahead of its October 23 release date, showing Cohen’s Ali using exaggerated slang, while wearing oversized streetwear and tinted glasses, alongside long dreadlocks and a crocheted cap. While fans of the original show have defended the character, arguing the bit targets ignorant white people who appropriate other cultures, critics have long argued that Ali G’s humour relies on racial stereotypes. Those criticisms have resurfaced following the character’s return, with media watchdog platform NewsCord now urging cinema chains around the world not to screen Who Iz I? as part of a campaign. “Ali G: Who Iz I? opens on 23 October 2026. 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,” the page reads. Why is this man allowed to do brown face and cultural appropriation in 2026? https://t.co/tPtW1VAfh9 — Ambereen Dadabhoy 🪬 (@DrDadabhoy) August 25, 2026 “Sony Pictures UK is selling it with the line ‘He iz back. We ain’t liable.’ The screens belong to the chains, and a booking is a choice. “Send a personalised letter to the booking desks of major chains in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East, verified addresses only, asking each to leave the film off its screens. Chains in non-English markets receive the letter in their own language.” At the time of writing, nearly 36,000 emails have been sent to various chains including Cinemark and Landmark Theatres in the US, as well as Odeon, Cineworld and Vue in the UK. Picturehouse Cinemas, another UK chain on the list, has since confirmed to Metro that it doesn’t intend on showing the Ali G film in any of its locations. Credit: NewsCord “‘We currently do not have any plans to screen this film on its release,” it told the outlet. The company didn’t confirm whether this was a result of the campaign. Film Shrine has contacted Sony Pictures UK, Amazon MGM Studios and Cohen’s representative for comment. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Amazon MGM Studios Post navigation Next story
