Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy "Ali G: Who Iz I" has been withdrawn from Filmstaden's cinema lineup in Sweden only days before its scheduled premiere on 23 October, Expressen reports. The removal was confirmed by SF Studios, the distributor that handles Filmstaden's bookings, which says the decision was not its own.
The film is a mockumentary comeback for Ali G, the character Baron Cohen first brought to screens in 2002 as a white middle-class man who adopts gangster mannerisms and aspires to a rap career. In the new instalment, Ali G attempts to restart that music career.
Why it matters
The cancellation puts a major comedy release in one of Europe's more closely watched cinema markets on hold at very short notice, and it lands amid an argument about what the character represents. According to Expressen, the film has drawn criticism, including from the BBC, for trading in a racial stereotype that mocks Black people. A wide theatrical launch being called off this close to opening night is unusual, and the timing has drawn attention to the controversy surrounding the character rather than the film's own merits.
Distributor points to Sony and Amazon
Mattias Lundin, marketing chief at SF Studios, told P3 Nyheter that the company was informed a few weeks ago that the film would not be shown in cinemas. He described SF Studios as a link in a chain: it distributes for Sony Pictures, which in turn handles Amazon's films. "A couple of weeks ago we received information that we would not have it at the cinema," Lundin said, according to Expressen's account of the P3 interview.
That account places the decision above SF Studios in the distribution hierarchy rather than with the Swedish exhibitor itself. Expressen does not report a stated reason from Sony, Amazon or Filmstaden for the withdrawal, and none of the parties quoted in the coverage has publicly explained the move.
Baron Cohen defends his approach
Baron Cohen addressed the criticism earlier this week in an essay for Time, according to Expressen. He wrote that he has always built his characters and his comedy to expose prejudice, bias and foolishness, while acknowledging that not everyone interprets the work that way. The essay is his most direct public response to the debate around the new film.
The 2002 original centred on a character played as a white suburban man performing a version of street culture, and the revival returns to that premise. Expressen notes that the character and the new film have been controversial, with the racial stereotype criticism among the concerns raised.
Streaming likely next stop
According to Moviezine, the film will probably skip Swedish cinemas entirely and go straight to a streaming premiere on Amazon's Prime Video. That would follow a pattern increasingly common for films whose theatrical plans change late in the process, though no date for a streaming release has been confirmed in the reporting.
For Swedish audiences who had planned to see the film on the big screen this week, the practical effect is that the 23 October opening will not go ahead at Filmstaden. Whether other Swedish exhibitors will pick it up is not addressed in the coverage.
What to watch next: confirmation from Sony Pictures, Amazon or Filmstaden on the reason for the withdrawal, and a Prime Video release date for Sweden.
