Donald Trump is both a renowned and controversial political figure whose name is often associated with the Hollywood industry. Recently, filmmaker Ali Abbasi made a biopic on Donald Trump titled “The Apprentice,” which premiered at Cannes. Hours after its premiere, the Trump campaign threatened legal action against its filmmakers. While most would panic in this situation, Abbasi remained unfazed despite the warning of legal action.
Starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, The Apprentice examines Trump’s career as a real estate businessman in New York in the 1970s and 80s with the help of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
During a press conference at Cannes on Tuesday (via the Guardian), Abbasi shared:
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people; they don’t talk about his success rate, though, you know?”
Abbasi was speaking in reference to a statement from Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, who said:
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction that sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because nothing they have done has worked.”
Cheung also added in his statement that Abbasi’s film was “pure malicious defamation” and that “it belongs in a dumpster fire.”
While Trump’s campaign seems to be against the film and shares their dislike for it blatantly, Abbasi is unaffected by any opinions.
Ali Abbasi’s take on Donald Trump’s biopic film
Ali Abbasi doesn’t think that Trump would necessarily ‘dislike’ his film The Apprentice. During the press conference, Abassi also shared that he was open to conversing with the former President of the United States regarding The Apprentice. He said, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie that he would dislike. I don’t necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised. … 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 afterward.”
He added:
“Donald’s team should wait (until) they watch the movie before they start suing us.”
While Abbasi is confident that Trump may like his movie, his notion seems unlikely. Dan Snyder, a close ally and financial supporter of former President Trump, had high hopes for the film’s portrayal of Trump. As a significant donor to the movie’s production, especially given his previous ownership of the NFL team, the Washington Commanders, Snyder anticipated a favorable depiction of the polarizing ex-president. However, upon watching the film in February, he was dismayed by its content and attempted to block its release.
What adds a layer to the controversy of the film is a scene where Trump is shown raping his first wife, Ivana Trump (portrayed by Maria Bakalova). The scene draws from a 1989 incident that was discussed during Donald and Ivana’s divorce proceedings. Ivanna later stated that while she referred to the incident as “rape,” she did not want her “words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.”
It’s uncertain if Trump will like the film or not, but what can be really appreciated in the film is Stan’s portrayal, which critics are also hailing. The Hollywood Reporter’s review states that some “will argue that Stan’s performance in the central role is a touch too likable.” So, it is possible that Trump may find at least one redeeming quality in Abassi’s biopic.
The Apprentice debuted at Cannes on Monday and was met with a standing ovation. Gabriel Sherman penned the film. While the release date isn’t confirmed yet, Abbasi said that he hopes it will be released around September.
