By As Donald Trump’s hush money trial entered its sixth week in New York, a new film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, offering a scathing origin story of the Republican presidential candidate. “The Apprentice,” directed by Iranian Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, the defense attorney who served as chief counsel to Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s Senate investigations.
The film, inspired by true events, depicts the central relationship between Trump and Cohn, portraying the latter as a longtime mentor who coached Trump in the ruthless world of New York City politics and business. Cohn is shown aiding the Trump Organization when it faced a federal lawsuit for racial discrimination in housing.
“The Apprentice” presents Trump’s dealings with Cohn as a Faustian bargain that guided his rise as a businessman and, subsequently, as a politician. Stan’s portrayal of Trump evolves from a more naive real-estate striver to a transformed figure, shaped by Cohn’s influence.
One particularly controversial scene in the film depicts Trump raping his wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova). This incident is based on Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, in which she stated that Trump had raped her. Although Trump denied the allegation and Ivana later clarified that she did not mean it literally, the scene is likely to generate significant discussion.
Given its potential to be an explosive big-screen drama in the midst of the U.S. presidential election, “The Apprentice” is currently for sale in Cannes and does not yet have a release date.
Variety reported alleged behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film, citing anonymous sources who claimed that billionaire Dan Snyder, a former owner of the Washington Commanders and an investor in “The Apprentice,” pressured the filmmakers to edit the film due to its portrayal of Trump. Snyder had previously donated to Trump’s presidential campaign. However, representatives for the film and Snyder could not be immediately reached for comment.
Director Ali Abbasi, whose previous work “Holy Spider” focused on a female journalist investigating a serial killer in Iran, emphasized in the press notes that “The Apprentice” is not a comprehensive biopic of Donald Trump. Instead, the film aims to tell a specific story through Trump’s relationship with Cohn and Cohn’s influence on him.
Regardless of its potential political impact, “The Apprentice” is expected to generate significant discussion as a potential awards contender. The film, shot in a gritty ’80s aesthetic, marks Jeremy Strong’s return to a New York landscape of money and power, following his role in HBO’s “Succession.” Strong, currently performing on Broadway in “An Enemy of the People,” was absent from the Cannes premiere on Monday.
As “The Apprentice” competes for the festival’s top award, the Palme d’Or, filmmakers and casts will hold press conferences the day after each movie’s premiere. The press conference for “The Apprentice” is scheduled for Tuesday, where further insights into the film’s production and its portrayal of Trump and Cohn are anticipated.
