The comedy website Funny or Die surprised the world today when it began streaming a 50-minute film that features Johnny Depp playing businessman cum presidential candidate leading the Republican race for “his” party’s nomination.
No one expected Trump to still be around
And why would they, when Trump hinted that he would run for the presidency last year, I for one and I’m sure I’m not alone, thought that this joke of a man was simply taking the piss as he’s prone to doing. After a series of missteps, seemingly, that included calling Mexicans “rapists and murderers, suggesting Megyn Kelly wasn’t fit to co-moderate a debate do to her “bleeding out of somewhere,” mocking a reporters physical disability, and being scorned by world leaders for suggesting a ban on Muslim’s entering the United States (I’ll just stop there), not only has Donald Trump not left the race but is leading it.
On the heels of his recent primary win in New Hampshire, Funny or Die, co-founded by comedian Will Ferrell and Academy Award nominated director (The Big Short) Adam McKay among others, released “Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie” today. It was directed and narrated by Ron Howard and has an 80s feel to it as Johnny Depp goes over the top in lampooning the billionaire mogul/presidential candidate.
The film is, of course, based on Trump’s 1987 best-seller “The Art of The Deal.”
While Depp is clearly the star others that appear include, Jack McBrayer, Patton Oswalt, Alfred Molina, Henry Winkler, Andy Richter and Jacob Tremblay, among others. Michaela Watkins, known for her work on “Saturday Night Live” plays Ivana Trump.
How could this possibly come about and be kept secret?
“It was a crazy, completely nuts idea that somehow we pulled off,” Adam McKay say in an interview with the New York Times.
“The Art of the Deal” began with an idea from Owen Burke, who became Funny or Die’s editor in chief in early September who took it to McKay who in turn presented it to Depp. Depp was made available for filming for four days in December.
“The plan was to move really fast because we thought Trump would go away, as least as a presidential candidate,” Mr. Burke said. “When he bizarrely didn’t go away, we had a little more time. But that meant keeping the secret for longer.”
“We had a few people sign non-disclosures, but mostly we just begged people not to say anything,” Burke said. “The plan was to move really fast because we thought Trump would go away, as least as a presidential candidate. When he bizarrely didn’t go away, we had a little more time. But that meant keeping the secret for longer.”
A sequel in the making for Johnny Depp?
Who knows? When you’re able to keep something this secret for that long, you’re certainly not going to tell anyone about it. But I doubt very much that any one involved in playing a role in this satire are fans of Mr. Trump beyond the comedic relief that he brings.
He’s a buffoon that will clearly go on running his mouth and it would be great to see this group go after him again if he were to win the Republican nomination.
I’m no fan of Hilary Clinton and while I’ll vote for billionaire Michael Bloomberg it he runs, Clinton (presumed nominee) has to beat this clown.
