First Look: Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump Faces Tough Interview in ‘The Apprentice’

‘The Apprentice’ is delving into Donald Trump’s rise to power, with a first look from Briarcliff Entertainment showcasing Sebastian Stan as Trump struggling through a phone interview while being guided by his mentor, Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. This scene hints at Trump’s early inexperience in his powerful role.

Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabe Sherman, the biopic features a cast that includes Emmy winners Stan and Strong, as well as Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr. and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump. The film premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it faced pushback from Trump supporters.

Image Courtesy: People

Originally backed by Dan Snyder, a conservative and Trump ally, the project lost his support due to controversies over the film’s portrayal of the former president. It was later picked up for domestic distribution by Tom Ortenberg’s Briarcliff Entertainment.

Despite facing backlash and legal threats from Trump’s supporters, Abbasi remained confident in his project, even using the U.S. elections as a promotional opportunity. He remarked, “Yeah, and we have a promotional event coming up called the U.S. election, it’s going to help us with the movie,” and expressed hope for the film’s release.

Image Courtesy: People

The film was also added to the Telluride Film Festival lineup in secret and had a smooth debut, despite anticipated protests. Abbasi, reflecting on the film, humorously mentioned that he had reserved three seats for Trump and his bodyguards, joking about Trump’s potential appearance.

–Farheen Ali