Unexpected Summer Buzz: Kad Merad Stars as Pope in Expanding Cinema Hit!

The film debuted quietly on August 13th… and then was suddenly caught in a wave of unexpected buzz! Titled “Papamobile,” it quickly caught the media’s eye due to its near invisibility. This feature film, directed by Sylvain Estibal and starring Kad Merad, was originally shown in just 7 theaters across France, with none in the Paris region at the time of release. This led to a media frenzy during the summer, amid discussions among the film’s producer, director, and distributor about why the release was almost secretive.

For its season premiere, the show Quotidien managed to get the director of “Papamobile” to speak about this curiosity. Until then, he had declined interview requests, except for a press release shared by the X Destination Ciné account.

On the set of Quotidien (see the full interview here), he commented on the buzz which has ultimately been beneficial for the film, as more theaters are now eager to show it.

This film is somewhat of an oddity, I admit.

“We knew we were making a comedy that would either be a hit or miss. We were aware from the start, so I’m not really surprised. There’s a curiosity. But I think the film deserves attention because it’s completely different. Kad Merad was incredible, as was Myriam Tekaïa. (…) There are elements not typically found in a comedy. It’s a bit of an oddity, I admit, but that’s how we made it. And our constraints pushed us even more in that direction.“

The number of theaters showing “Papamobile” has increased from 9 in the first week to 34 in the upcoming week. According to our data, the evolution of theater counts was as follows: 9 / 10 / 21 / 34 theaters. The count has more than tripled since its release.

There are people coming to see it dressed as popes, as bishops…

“Yes, there’s curiosity, and I thank all the theater operators who are asking for it because it’s wonderful. There are people coming to see it dressed as popes, as bishops… Incredible things are happening! Someone wrote to us saying they traveled 500 km to see the film. So there are some strange things happening. People discuss it after leaving the theater, some saying it isn’t good, others who love it, it’s very divided!“

A Cult Film in the Making?

The host of Quotidien, Yann Barthès, asks if it might be a cult film: “We’ll see. It’s not for me to say. But maybe it has the ingredients to become one since it was so heavily criticized, ultimately sparking curiosity.“

He added, jokingly: “I’m thinking of making a Papamobile 2, given the success of the first!“.

Here’s the official synopsis of the film: On the last day of a historic trip to Mexico, the pope is kidnapped by a drug cartel. The Holy Father uncovers the mystic personality of the cartel’s leader and her gang’s various activities. But soon, the formidable criminal discovers she has abducted an impostor…

It should be noted that the film is expected to be available on OCS in a few months, and on Amazon Prime in 2026.