Overview

• Speaking at a Creative UK event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Iannucci said American buyers told him they would not finance a screen work based on Trump’s speeches.
• He recounted warnings from journalists and potential backers that creators who target Trump could face investigations and costly legal battles.
• He has not abandoned the project and said it could move forward without U.S. money, while declining to say whether it is a film or a TV series.
• He framed the reluctance as part of a broader chill on satire, citing the brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel and Paramount’s cancellation of Stephen Colbert.
• He said renewed threats of tariffs on non-American productions are prompting U.S. financiers to pause, stalling UK projects, and he urged greater backing for public service broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4.