The full trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? was released online on Thursday, offering a first extended look at Sacha Baron Cohen’s return to the character that made him famous. The preview shows the academically challenged west Staines rudeboy back in his provocative interview and stunt-driven mode, targeting high-profile figures and public moments.
Among the people and personalities glimpsed as victims of the film’s pranks are former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and former US president Donald Trump, as well as a retired US general. The trailer mixes staged and ambush-style encounters to revive the confrontational, comic approach associated with the character.
Visually, the trailer presents Ali G with new dreadlocks while retaining the clothing and style associated with the early 2000s — a look the character has long satirised as that of young white Britons imitating US hip-hop and Black streetwear. The film also adds a domestic thread to the comedy: Ali grapples with contemporary issues and the news that his long-term partner, Julie, is pregnant.
After an absence of roughly 20 years, the character returns with commentary on recent events. In the trailer Ali G quips that “the world went to crap: there was Covid, wars and Ed Sheeran,” signalling a satirical take on both global crises and pop culture. The trailer sets the tone for the second feature-length outing for the character created and played by Cohen.
The preview frames the film as a revival of the confrontational, prank-based comedy that characterised earlier incarnations of Ali G, while also threading in personal storylines and contemporary references. The trailer serves as the first substantial glimpse of how the character will confront the realities of the present day.