Sacha Baron Cohen’s new Ali G film ditched onto streaming just DAYS after cinema release following ‘box office flop’

The comedian confirmed the move on X last night. Many critics have tipped what appears to be a dismal theatrical run, marked by scathing reviews and underwhelming ticket sales, as a possible reason.

The film currently sits at just 48 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics largely dismissing the project. It’s also rated 6.1 out of 10 on IMDb from fewer than 1,000 reviews.

Official box office numbers have not yet been released, but it is understood that Amazon MGM Studios had initially intended a wide cinema rollout for the movie.

The studio’s decision to bring the theatrical release run to a close comes after a sustained online boycott campaign alongside the underwhelming feedback.

In the new film, Ali G (played by Mr Cohen) discovers that his long-term partner Julie (Morgana Robinson) is eight months pregnant and, needing to provide for his growing family, travels to the United States in pursuit of renewed fame.

However, in doing so, he faces threats to both his and his child’s safety.

After Mr Cohen took to X to announce the film’s release date on Amazon Prime Video, social media users were quick to share their thoughts on the move.

“I mean, I don’t think this even counts as a flop,” one critical X user typed. “It’s like the film was never released in cinemas. That’s how bad this is.”

A second similarly hit out: “Absolutely nobody is watching it… You’re approaching 60 years old still dressing up like a moron, putting on an accent and thinking anybody finds it funny in 2026.”

“Wow that flopped hard,” a third added, while a fourth commented: “Lol, no one is buying tickets.”

“Wow it must have really flopped,” another predicted, and a sixth remarked: “So tone deaf. Very sad. I loved Ali G back in the day. Then we all grew up.”

However, the news was also met with disappointment from would-be fans. “Really wanted to see this in theaters and support this type of comedy,” one X user argued.

And a second stood up for the film: “Movie was brilliant. Glad I got to see it in theaters.” (sic)

Much of the backlash facing Mr Cohen stems from claims he perpetuated harmful racial stereotypes through the character.

Labour MP Paulette Hamilton has called the character “racist”, comedian Dane Baptiste publicly criticised its comeback, and UK-based media watchdog NewsCord began an email campaign urging British cinemas not to screen the film.

The comedian, however, defended his decision to bring back Ali G in an essay for Time Magazine.

“All the prejudices my characters are designed to expose haven’t just lingered – they’ve metastasised,” he wrote.

“I’ve always designed my characters and comedy as vehicles to expose prejudice, bias, and stupidity, though I realise not everyone sees them that way.”