Overview
- Amazon MGM has scheduled Ali G: Who Iz I? for release on Oct. 23 and released a trailer late in August showing the film as a hidden‑camera mockumentary with Baron Cohen in character.
- NewsCord launched an exhibitor boycott drive in late August and says it has asked supporters to send tens of thousands of emails to chains, with reports ranging from about 36,000 to 37,658 messages.
- Picturehouse Cinemas told a customer it currently has no plans to screen the film, but news outlets and industry sources say that message may reflect routine booking status rather than a decision prompted by the campaign.
- Critics have revived objections first voiced around 2000, including comments from Black British comedians and writers such as Afua Hirsch and Felix Dexter, who say the Ali G persona relies on racial stereotypes.
- The dispute highlights a practical test for exhibitors and distributors: cinemas normally base bookings on audience demand and certification, but coordinated public pressure could shape where the film actually shows and how distributors like Amazon MGM and Sony respond.