Teaser of 'The Comey Rule' shows a menacing Trump
What's the story
The teaser for miniseries The Comey Rule is out and its fleeting depiction of US President Donald Trump is remarkable. The series is written and directed by Billy Ray and features Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey, while Brendan Gleeson enacts Donald Trump. The 50-second trailer had already raked in over 168,000 views on YouTube at the time of the press.
Context
What does the series have in store?
Based on Comey's book, A Higher Loyalty, the series has two parts and a run-time of four hours. It also has interviews related to the infamous Trump-Comey fall out soon after the 2016 election that gave a decisive victory to the Republican, and loss to Hillary Clinton. The series also delves into the details of interactions between Comey and Trump, after he assumed office.
Impersonation
Gleeson's resemblance with Trump is uncanny, peaking excitement among enthusiasts
One can't ignore the stark resemblance with Donald Trump that Gleeson has pulled off. From the raspy voice, his accent to his gestures, the teaser gives a sneak peek into the reel President's unmistakable gait and behavior. The palpable excitement is sustained as Gleeson's Trump is seen shaking hands with Daniels' Comey, before one gets a quick glance at the on-screen Trump's profile.
Debate
Interestingly, Showtime had inhibitions about release date
As exciting as it may look, Showtime initially couldn't risk releasing this explosive miniseries before the November 3 general election and was eyeing a later date. This infuriated the director who went public with a protest letter citing how the network could ignore the scope for a timely release. After backlash, the show will now air from September 27.
Letter
Earlier, Ray wrote heartfelt letter to cast over delayed release
In a letter to the series' cast, Ray said he understood the disappointment, linked with the original release date. "While I've made movies about my country before, this was the first time I ever made a movie for my country. We all were hoping to get this story in front of the American people months before the coming election," he penned.
Quote
I am sorry: Ray told cast
In the letter, Ray added that the network was convinced for a release before November, but sometime in March and April the "mandate changed." Saying he didn't know what happened, the director apologized to the cast saying, "You deserved better than this."
Backstory
A bit about the sour ties between Comey and Trump
Before the 2016 presidential election, Comey sought scrutiny of Clinton's private e-mails in a server for the Secretary of the State. After Trump won, he remained dissatisfied with Comey's handling of the matter and fired him in May 2017. Comey reportedly learned of his dismissal while watching television news and initially brushed it aside assuming it was a prank.