Controversial Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’ lands U.S. release date before election day

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As a lifelong observer of American politics and culture, I find myself intrigued by the upcoming release of “The Apprentice,” a biopic about Donald Trump. Having lived through his tumultuous presidency and witnessed the countless controversies that surrounded him, it’s fascinating to see how Hollywood is tackling such a divisive figure.

Mark this date on your calendar for an October shocker: The biographical film about Donald Trump titled “The Apprentice” has been given a cinematic release by Briarcliff Entertainment and is scheduled to be shown in theaters on October 11, just under a month before the presidential election.

As a movie enthusiast, I’m excitedly anticipating the U.S. premiere of “The Apprentice,” starring Sebastian Stan as the transformative figure from real estate tycoon to reality TV star and politician, with Jeremy Strong portraying his infamous attorney and mentor Roy Cohn. There are whispers that this film might be one of the unexpected gems gracing the Telluride Film Festival lineup, starting this Friday. This means North American audiences will get their first sneak peek at this movie!

Under the guidance of Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi (“Holy Spider”), the movie titled “The Apprentice” made its debut in competition at Cannes, stirring up immediate controversy. This cinematic piece, described by The Times as “hypnotically trashy,” portrays Donald Trump in a highly unfavorable light during his relentless ascension in 1970s and ’80s New York. The film depicts Trump as a callous social climber who is sleazy, cruel, and betrays his alcoholic brother. Additionally, the movie suggests that he rapes his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova), on the floor of their New York penthouse, and undergoes liposuction and cosmetic surgery for hair loss.

Following its premiere, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung criticized the movie as “rubbish” and “entirely fictional,” threatening to sue the filmmakers to prevent its distribution. In a statement, he described the movie as “malicious defamation that doesn’t belong in daylight, not even in the discount DVD section of an imminently closing budget movie store.”

At a news conference in Cannes, Abbasi advocated for politically charged films, stating, “It’s high time we returned politics to the big screen.” He dismissively commented on Trump’s threats against the film, adding, “He often boasts about numerous lawsuits he might file, but seldom discusses his success ratio instead.”

After premiering at Cannes, “The Apprentice” managed to secure distribution in Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia, but encountered apprehension in the U.S., as studios, streaming platforms, and independent distributors were reluctant to provoke the anger of Trump and his followers by handling the film. However, following lengthy discussions, Briarcliff eventually took on the domestic distribution rights for the movie.

Every year, Telluride reserves a few titles for surprise screenings, keeping them under wraps until the last minute. This time around, “The Apprentice” could be another powerhouse addition to a program already bursting with controversial political topics. The upcoming festival promises to attract prominent political figures like Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea, who will attend to endorse the abortion rights documentary “Zurawski v Texas”. Additionally, Democratic strategist James Carville is set to appear in the new documentary titled “Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid!”.

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2024-08-30 19:01