How would you feel if you wrote a book, got somebody like Alejandro González Iñárritu to make a film adaptation of it, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, but you weren’t allowed to talk about it? That’s the author of The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, Michael Punke’s situation.
The Washington Post recently contacted Punke for an interview about The Revenant, which got a limited release in the US on Christmas Day, but working as the deputy US trade representative and ambassador to the World Trade Organization clashes with his ability to discuss the film adaptation of his historical fiction novel.
“Federal ethics rules prohibit him from doing any side work — even a little promotional campaign — that might enrich him and potentially abuse his high-ranking office in the process,” quotes Ben Terris from The Post.
Punke wasn’t able to attend The Revenant premiere on December 16 in Los Angeles because he was in Nairobi doing his job. According to his wife, this whole experience feels bittersweet for him, although he can’t complain about the success of both the book and the film. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge book was first published in 2002 and has now gained renewed attention.
