A look at the top ten highest-grossing films of 2023 paints a very grim picture for romantic or quirky comedies, as the dominant genre of the 2000s finds itself lagging behind big-budget action-packed movies.
Billion-dollar hits like Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie might give an impression that comedy movies can still challenge Marvel and DC’s thrillers, but one doesn’t need rocket science to understand that the key reason behind their success is more to do with legacy brands (Barbie and Mario) they represent rather than their core genre.
Instead, it’s the lukewarm performances of comedies like Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings ($87 million) or Salma Hayek’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance ($57 million) that really make it tough for producers to enthusiastically splurge on comedy projects. Regardless, that is supposedly not going to make much of a dent in Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G plans.
What Are Sacha Baron Cohen’s Plans for Ali G
Sacha Baron Cohen is an absolute genius when it comes to making character-driven films and shows, and there are only a few comedy characters in pop culture that come close to Borat Margaret Sagdiyev.
The satirical fictional character didn’t need any intricate plot, big sets, or high-tech CGI to send fans into a frenzy. Instead, it was Cohen’s convincing performance as a Kazakhstani television journalist that generated laughs (and a few gasps) from his interactions with unwitting individuals.
A little less controversial and popular, but equally hilarious is his other character, Ali G. He was the central figure of a television series, titled Da Ali G Show, where Cohen acted stupid and ignorant to bring out unorthodox responses from his guests.
Interestingly, in June of this year, a rumor emerged that Cohen is working on bringing back Ali G. The suggestion came from Above the Line editor Jeff Sneider during an appearance on John Rocha’s podcast. Sneider further added:
“I think there’s even people in the comments who are like, ‘Who’s Ali G?’ I do think he can manage to prank a lot of people. I just think we need more comedies in general. This weekend, No Hard Feelings is tracking for a $12 million opening, and that’s not going to get Hollywood excited about making more comedies, but it takes people like Sacha Baron Cohen who can go and do their own thing, and don’t need permission or whatever.”
The character of Ali G originally appeared on The Eleven O’Clock Show in 1998, before getting his own dedicated interview-based television series in 2000. However, Sneider feels the comeback is gonna be through a movie.
Was Ali G Star Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat 2 a Success
Borat hit the theaters in 2006 and became an instant success. Made from just $18 million, the movie grossed $262 million in worldwide collection.
However, as discussed above, that was perhaps the golden era of quirky comedies. It’s tough to expect the same success nowadays, especially after seeing how the Jennifer Lawrence starrer did at the box office.
Having said that, if there’s one artist who can attract millions to theaters for a comedy movie, it’s Sacha Baron Cohen.
In 2020, the versatile actor brought back the much-loved Borat in the movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The sequel to Borat debuted on Amazon Prime Video and received a brilliant response from fans and critics alike.
Source: John Rocha – YouTube
