Ali G: Who Iz I? is real — Sacha Baron Cohen’s secret film hits theaters Oct 23

Respec’. On July 22, Amazon MGM Studios and Sacha Baron Cohen finally put a title and date on the secret Ali G feature: Ali G: Who Iz I?, in theaters October 23, 2026. It is Cohen’s feature directorial debut — shot on and off across cities for years, the same covert man-on-the-street methodology that powered Borat and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

How it leaked into the open

Cohen appeared in full Ali G regalia at the 2026 Wimbledon finals, declaring tennis “a crap version of ping-pong,” then posted an in-character Instagram announcing the “documentary” with twice the animal sex of the penguin one. Plot details remain under the tracksuit. October 23 puts it opposite Warner/DC’s Clayface and in a crowded fall comedy lane after The Great Beyond slid out of November.

Franchise archaeology

Ali G debuted on Channel 4’s The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998, headlined Da Ali G Show (UK then HBO), and got Ali G Indahouse in 2002. Borat (2006) and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020, Amazon) are the cultural nukes; Indahouse never got a proper US theatrical push. Amazon reteaming with Cohen after the Borat sequel’s Oscar nominations is the corporate memory that greenlit another theatrical risk in 2026.

Keep it real. Keep it theatrical. Booyakasha — and maybe buy the ticket before the punchline spoils itself on TikTok.