The actor embodies a impostor pontiff sovereign removed by a Mexican cartel. According to the director, the film, whose budget is estimated at 1.2 million euros, was shot “with a claimed nanar side”.
An announced flop? Papamobile Go straight towards a good failure in the dining room, if it is broadcast there. The new comedy with Kad Merad in the shoes of an impostor pope removed by a Mexican cartel during a daddy tour was released on Wednesday August 13. It will only be projected in six cities in France, namely Avignon, Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, Saverne, Douvaine, Évian-les-Bains and Romans-sur-Isère. No metropolis, therefore, or even a commune in Île-de-France.
Why that? Simply because the film is “Failed”concedes his producer Jean Bréhat in the columns of Chained duck. “It’s a funny comedy, according to most of those who saw ithe admits. It happens in the profession. »» And add : «[Certaines personnes] Who saw the film found it extraordinary, crazy and fun, and do not understand that its release is thus scuttled. »»
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Requested by our colleagues from Parisianthe director of the film, Sylvain Estibal, César of the best first work in 2011 for The Gaza pigreveals having turned Papamobile in Mexico, in 2023, “With a claimed nanar side”. He also proclaimed himself to respond to his producer on social networks, accusing him of “Express himself in the press on the day of the exit”while the latter is supposed “Defending the film”.
“The feedback has been largely negative”
There should still be something to defend. Even the distributor, Violaine Barbaroux, at the head of The Joker Films, told the Parisian Do not want to pay the 200,000 euros inherent in the exit costs, preferring to put the film on the modest budget of 1.2 million euros in the trash. “The first assembly in 2024 was not satisfactoryshe explains to our colleagues. Then the final assembly turned out to be disappointing, not only for us, and not up to the scenario, the director, its actors and associated promises. »»
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The film was then presented to the film Cannes market last May, without finding the slightest distributor. The Joker Films therefore agreed to make the film poster and the trailer. “The feedback has been largely negative” When offering it to operators, she says. The distribution company was therefore limited to a technical outing to honor its obligations taken with the National Cinema Center (CNC).
Spectators are not fortunate enough to live near these six cities, including five of them, with the exception of Avignon, have less than 35,000 residents, will be able to view Papamobile On the OCS channel in a few months, then on Amazon Prime Video in 2026.
