Booyakasha! Ali G Is Back: The Legendary Comedy Character Returns to Australian Cinemas

After more than two decades away from the big screen in his own feature film, Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing back one of his most outrageous creations. Ali G: Who Iz I? is heading to Australian cinemas this October, reintroducing the tracksuit-wearing, slang-spouting character whose clueless confidence has made him a cult comedy favourite.

Written, directed by and starring Baron Cohen, the new film follows Ali G as he faces an unexpected change in his personal life. After spending years living as he pleases, he discovers that his long-term girlfriend, Julie, is eight months pregnant. Suddenly confronted with the prospect of becoming a father, Ali decides it is time to get his life back on track — although his idea of a sensible plan is anything but conventional.

Determined to reclaim his former glory, Ali heads to America, where his attempts to make a comeback soon lead him into a series of increasingly absurd situations. Along the way, he encounters people and adversaries who threaten not only his ambitions but also the future he hopes to build for his child.

Morgana Robinson joins Baron Cohen as Julie, bringing another familiar face to a comedy built around the character's exaggerated confidence, misunderstandings and complete inability to recognise how ridiculous he can be.

The film marks a significant return for Ali G, who first appeared on British television in the late 1990s before gaining international attention through Da Ali G Show. Baron Cohen subsequently brought the character to cinemas in Ali G Indahouse in 2002. His return comes after years in which the comedian has continued to explore provocative comedy through characters such as Borat and Brüno.

What made Ali G memorable was never simply his distinctive accent or colourful wardrobe. The character's comedy came from the contrast between his inflated sense of importance and his limited understanding of the situations he entered. By presenting himself as an authority while misunderstanding almost everything around him, Ali became a vehicle for satire aimed at politics, celebrity culture and social attitudes.

Ali G: Who Iz I? appears ready to revisit that formula while giving its central character a new motivation. The prospect of fatherhood adds a fresh complication to Ali's familiar world, even if his approach to responsibility is unlikely to be conventional.

Australian audiences can catch the film during a limited cinema release beginning Friday, October 23, 2026. Event Cinemas has announced screenings from October 23 to 25 at selected locations, with tickets on sale. The film has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes and is currently listed as CTC in Australia, meaning its final classification is still to be confirmed.

For fans who have followed Baron Cohen's work since the character's television debut, the new film offers a chance to see whether Ali G still has the same capacity to provoke laughter and uncomfortable reactions. For newcomers, it provides an introduction to a comedy figure whose greatest talent is turning complete ignorance into absolute confidence.

With its limited theatrical run, Ali G: Who Iz I? is shaping up as a distinctive addition to Australia's October comedy calendar. Whether Ali can reclaim his former glory is another matter entirely — but audiences can expect the journey to be anything but ordinary.

Ali G: Who Iz I? opens in selected Australian cinemas on October 23, 2026.

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