The Apprentice film debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and sent shockwaves through viewers with its portrayal of Donald Trump, now once again serving as President. Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of a young Trump even sparked a response from the former host of the reality TV series.
Now, with Stan’s Academy Award nomination, the controversial movie is expected to gain even more attention. Hollywood Life has rounded up everything you need to know about the film here. Read on to find out more.
What Is ‘The Apprentice’ About?
Per its official logline, The Apprentice “is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.”
The movie also claims to be inspired by “true events” from Trump’s life and career so far.
After it premiered at Cannes, viewers revealed that a graphic rape scene is featured in the film between Trump and his ex-wife Ivana Trump. Per Variety, the scene begins with Ivan (portrayed by actress Maria Bakalova) playfully showing a book about female orgasms to her husband. The interaction between them quickly takes a sharp turn, and the character Trump reveals he doesn’t want her anymore. After they argue, Trump rapes her.
We couldn’t think of a better endorsement @RealDonaldTrump. #TheApprentice is Now Playing in Theaters nationwide!https://t.co/syzMcmWReR pic.twitter.com/GBpM6AtCjk
— The Apprentice (@ApprenticeMov) October 14, 2024
‘The Apprentice’ Release Date
The Apprentice premiered on October 11.
How to Watch ‘The Apprentice’
The Apprentice is currently available to rent or buy on streaming services like Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and YouTube TV.
How Did Donald Trump Respond to the Movie?
Upon hearing about the film’s portrayal of him, Trump and his campaign responded by calling it “garbage.” Per a statement by campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, they plan to file a lawsuit “to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”
“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” the spokesperson added, according to the Associated Press.
Director Ali Abbasi spoke to reporters at Cannes, noting, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike. I don’t necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised, you know? And like I’ve said before, I would offer to go and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening and have a chat afterwards, if that’s interesting to anyone at the Trump campaign.”
Thanks for getting back to us @realDonaldTrump. I am available to talk further if you want. Today is a tight day w a lot of press for #TheApprentice but i might be able to give you a call tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/TU1b3Qg2rL
— Ali Abbasi (@_aliabbasi_) October 14, 2024
Trump later broke his silence about the movie in a Truth Social post, calling it “fake and classless.”
In response to Trump’s statement, Abbasi tweeted, “Thanks for getting back to us @realDonaldTrump. I am available to talk further if you want. Today is a tight day w a lot of press for #TheApprentice but i might be able to give you a call tomorrow [sic].”
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