Overview

• Papamobile opened on August 13 in just six to seven small-town cinemas—including Avignon, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne and Saverne—with no screenings scheduled in Paris or other major urban centers.
• Producer Jean Bréhat publicly labeled the €1.2 million comedy as a failure, admitting that most audiences found it unenjoyable.
• Director Sylvain Estibal defended his 2023 Mexico-filmed project as a deliberately camp “nanar” comedy and criticized the producer for airing negative remarks on release day.
• Distributor The Joker Films refused to invest roughly €200,000 in traditional release expenses following poor feedback at the Cannes market, instead choosing a minimal technical rollout to satisfy CNC requirements.
• A minimal theatrical run was necessary to classify Papamobile as a cinema release and validate pre-purchase investments by OCS and Amazon under their film budgets.