Federal Police Investigate Unrealistic Box Office Projections for Bolsonaro Film

The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) are investigating the production of the film Dark Horse, which focuses on former President Jair Bolsonaro, after discovering business plans with box office projections that far exceed national records. According to a PF report made public on Friday, the film's business plan projected three revenue scenarios: a pessimistic estimate of 45 million US dollars, a conservative estimate of 70 million US dollars, and an optimistic estimate of 100 million US dollars. The report notes that the optimistic scenario would be more than three times the record held by Minha Mãe é uma Peça 3, which earned approximately 120 million reais. The PF stated that these projections are discrepant from any realistic parameter of the national cinematographic market.

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is formally under investigation regarding the production of the film. Investigations reveal that Flávio negotiated the transfer of at least 24 million US dollars with banker Daniel Vorcaro, with at least 12.3 million US dollars actually paid. The PF indicated that the high budget is not justified even by the participation of foreign professionals. Furthermore, investigators suspect that a portion of the funds may have been used to cover the expenses of Eduardo Bolsonaro in the United States. The projections were reportedly sent to Vorcaro by publicist Thiago Miranda, who served as an interlocutor for the film.