Did Donald Trump try to ban his own biopic, The Apprentice, amid the U.S. elections?

Donald Trump
Donald Trump's biopic in theaters (Image via The Apprentice)

The Apprentice is a biographical film on Donald Trump. Following the biopic's May Cannes Film Festival debut, nearly all major Hollywood distributors and streaming services declined to work with it. The project was denounced by Trump's reelection campaign, which also addressed a cease-and-desist letter to the creators. However, the movie is now showing in theaters.

The Apprentice is a darkly humorous tragicomedy. It tells the story of Donald Trump's ascent to celebrity and wealth during the 1970s and 1980s. Mason Novick and Tony Vaccaro-Black are the film's directors. Sebastian Stan plays a teenage Donald Trump, and Jeremy Strong his brutal legal tutor, Roy Cohn.

The biopic's story revolves around a young Donald, played by Sebastian Stan in a movie from the early 1970s, who works for his father Fred's real estate firm in New York. He handles the company's racial profiling issue and collects rent from residents. Donald, however, has grand plans for a five-star hotel that will be built next to Central Station.


What is Trump’s biopic The Apprentice about?

The early life of Trump (Image via The Apprentice)
The early life of Trump (Image via The Apprentice)

The Apprentice is a biographical drama starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong as Donald Trump and his mentor Roy Cohn in the 1970s. It's a film by director Ali Abbasi. Principal photography began in New York City in November 2023 and lasted for three months, allowing the film to be completed in April 2024, in time for the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

Sebastian Stan, known for his popular TV series, and Jeremy Strong, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, play the lead roles of Trump and Cohn in the biopics's casting.

The Apprentice is a series set in the 1970s and 1980s as Donald (Sebastian Stan) attempts to climb the ladder of success in New York City real estate. It refers to a film about the relationship between Trump and the character controversies surrounding Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who would eventually become Trump's mentor.


Donald Trump’s and his team's reaction towards The Apprentice

Donald Trump's team reacts to the biopic (Image via The Apprentice)
Donald Trump's team reacts to the biopic (Image via The Apprentice)

Team Trump is furious about the film. Trump’s team has been firing warning shots in lawsuits against the producers and trying to use an injunction to stop it from being distributed after it premiered at Cannes in May. The film's director, Abassi, has volunteered to screen it for the former US president, suggesting that Trump might even enjoy it.

Talking to ABC, Abbasi stated,

"This is a very classic story of master and protégé, you can also call it a Frankenstein story” he added “But it's not really dependent on and it's not really about the person who was in the White House.”
Donald Trump might be amused by his role (Image via The Apprentice)
Donald Trump might be amused by his role (Image via The Apprentice)

Trump might enjoy that a doppelganger of himself is playing the part, but it's easy to imagine Trump tweeting about how angry he is at having to go through all this. And not just because the film depicts his business dealings or the alleged abuse he does on his first wife, Ivana Trump, in 1989.

The Apprentice also portrays Trump in a way that could hurt his feelings about his appearance. It has nothing to do with his tan or his hair of 2016. The director does not show Trump's wealth or power as impressive. There is no beautiful view of a fancy office or a large fountain in Trump Tower.


The Apprentice is currently available to stream at your nearby theaters.

comment icon
Comment

Quick Links

Edited by pshmueni