The 6 Most Important Things You Need to Know Regarding the Trump-Inspired Movie, ‘The Apprentice’

Why Does The Apprentice Film Have the Trump Campaign So Riled Up?

Donald Trump just got his own biopic, The Apprentice, which was revealed in a recent screening at the Cannes International Film Festival. The film, which was initially revealed in 2018, purportedly depicts a young Trump in the 1970s and 1980s as he establishes his real estate firm in New York City. Billed as a 'mentor-protégé narrative,' the movie has an ensemble cast portraying real-life people from the former President's inner circle, including Roy Cohn, Ivana Trump, and Fred Trump, per PEOPLE. Following its international debut at Cannes, the film has already generated a lot of buzz for its contentious scenes, particularly from Trump's team, which has vowed to sue. Here's all you need to know about The Apprentice, including the characters and narrative.

1. Who Portrays Donald Trump?

Sebastian Stan plays Donald J. Trump in the film, complete with his trademark orange hair. The actor, who is better known for his role as Marvel's Bucky Barnes, has also taken on serious roles in films such as I, Tonya, Pam & Tommy, Black Swan, and the upcoming A Different Man. “It was a long, arduous process, and to be honest, I just didn’t know if I could do it,” Stan said about playing Donald to Vanity Fair. “I just scoured the internet and everything I could find… all around the time period that the movie was taking place. I watched everything.”

2. Who Else Is in It?

Succession actor Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn, who was a crucial mentor to Donald throughout his early career and served as his lawyer when he was accused of violating the Fair Housing Act. Bodies Bodies Bodies actress Maria Bakalova plays Ivana Trump, his first wife from 1977 to 1990; Weeds actor Martin Donovan as Fred Trump, the ex-president's father who died in June 1999; and Joe Pingue from The Book of Eli takes on the role of Anthony Salerno, an American mobster who served as underboss and front boss of the Genovese crime family in the early 1980s.

3. What’s the Plot All About?

Though no official description has been given, the film is reported to follow Donald's early career in the real estate sector in New York City from the 1970s to the 1980s. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is a “mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception.” The logline describes it as “a story about the origins of a system…featuring larger-than-life characters and set in a world of power and ambition.” The movie “delves into a profound exploration of the ascent of an American dynasty. It meticulously charts the genesis of a zero-sum culture, one that accentuates the dichotomy between winners and losers, the dynamics between the mighty and the vulnerable, and the intricate psychology of persona.”

4. What's the Controversy Surrounding the Film?

The film's international debut at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20 instantly grabbed eyes for its unsettling scenes, including a sequence showing Donald receiving liposuction, which allegedly 'drew audible gasps' from the crowd, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Notably, another clip showing Donald sexually assaulting his first wife, Ivana, has sparked outrage. The Daily Beast reported that Ivana had once accused Donald of raping her during their divorce procedures in the late 1980s, but she eventually recanted this claim in 1993. Despite its contentious parts, the film received a reported eight-minute standing ovation, with critics applauding Stan's portrayal of Donald for not making the figure appear too parody-like. 

5. Has Donald Seen The Apprentice?

It appears that the real estate mogul has not watched the film, but that has not stopped his team from attempting to get ahead of the press and slamming the movie. Despite all the backlash from Donald's camp, director Ali Abbasi seems unfazed, even declaring at the May 21 event that he'd be happy to give the former President a private screening. "Like I said before, I would be happy — 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, if that's interesting for anyone of Trump campaign people here," he added.

6. Will There Be a Lawsuit?

Shortly after the Cannes screening, the former President's campaign declared intentions to sue the filmmakers. “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. “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.”