‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ Trailer Leads to Theater Boycott Call After Backlash Over Alleged Racist Caricatures

A controversy over alleged racist stereotypes surrounding Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G character has spilled into distribution channels, with an email campaign urging theaters not to show an upcoming sequel titled “Ali G: Who Iz I?” The calls began after Amazon MGM Studios released a trailer for the film, prompting pressure efforts aimed at exhibitors, according to Deadline’s report on August 29.

The campaign is being organized through the watchdog site NewsCord, Deadline reported. The site said more than 40,000 emails were sent as part of the outreach, with the messages directing theaters to “leave the film off” their schedules, according to the Deadline summary.

Deadline characterized the dispute as centered on how the new project attempts to position Ali G, including an effort described in the report as trying to “brush off” an older character. The report says that approach has drawn scrutiny and backlash tied to claims that the character relies on racist caricature rather than contemporary context or reformulation.

Amazon MGM Studios, the distributor associated with the trailer’s release, was the focus of the pressure because exhibitors typically depend on studio bookings and marketing timelines to plan screening schedules. Deadline’s report framed the theater outreach as an attempt to influence those practical decisions after the public release of the trailer.

The controversy, as described by Deadline, did not arrive as a private dispute between critics and a studio. Instead, it moved quickly to the level of theaters, where programming changes can affect staffing, projected audiences, and revenue tied to release dates.

It was not immediately clear from the Deadline report how individual theaters will respond, or whether any screens would be removed as a result of the email volume. The next step for exhibitors is determining whether to address the campaign through standard customer-facing channels or to proceed with programming based on existing distribution agreements.

Under typical U.S. theater operations, such outreach campaigns are addressed as one more form of public reaction, often alongside reviews, social media activity, and formal complaints. How the situation develops will likely depend on whether additional institutions join the effort and whether the studio or exhibitors make public changes to release plans tied to the film’s rollout.