'The Revenant' Author Michael Punke Prohibited to Talk About Movie Adaptation

A film adaptation of "The Revenant," an account about American frontiersman Hugh Glass written by Michael Punke, hit a limited number of theaters Christmas day. As it turns out, all throughout the marketing for the film, the author was banned from discussing the movie.

According to The Washington Post, the writer was not even allowed to do even the tiniest bit of promotion for the film. So when stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy and director Alejandro G. Inarritu walked the red carpet in Los Angeles for the movie's opening, Punke was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, he was back in Nairobi where he went about his work to perfect the international trade agreement that will ratify a $1.3 trillion trade deal for GPS systems, semi-conductors and touch screens.

His brother and spokesperson Tim Punke reveals that the novelist could only hope that he could gush about his own work, which he published 13 years ago. "Oh, he wishes he could talk about it. Can you imagine having your book turned into a movie, having Leonardo DiCaprio in it?" Tim said.

According to Independent, Punke is barred under federal ethics to perform any type of side work taking into account his position as the U.S. trade representative and ambassador to the World Trade Organization, lest he will take advantage and abuse the power bestowed upon him. This is why Punke was quiet from the moment "The Revenant" was optioned for film despite his happiness about his writing feat.

 "It's kind of bittersweet," the author's wife Tracy stated. She and their two kids attended the premiere. "He's so grateful that it just happened, that it came to the big screen, that he can't complain. But he's obviously disappointed," she explained.

"The Revenant" follows the story of fur trapper Hugh Glass who was abandoned on his last legs after being mauled by a bear. According to Daily Mail, the film adaptation opened powerfully, considering it only premiered in four New York and Los Angeles movie theaters.

Deadline reported that the film garnered $471,000, clocking in an average of $117,750 sales per theater. By January 8, more cinemas will be screening the film although it won't be out in UK until a week later.

According to Daily Mail, "The Revenant" is getting some Oscar buzz. Dicaprio, who played Hugh Glass in the film, had nothing but praise towards Inarritu. "What he achieves, is something I think is, cinematically, very groundbreaking for audiences and that is for them to be a part of this raw, violent, savage bear attack but feel the intimacy of both man and beast," the "Titanic" star told ABC 7.30.