After a tumultuous journey following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, the eagerly awaited film The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump, has finally found a distributor in Briarcliff Entertainment. The film, directed by Danish Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, is scheduled for release in theaters across the U.S. and Canada on October 11, just weeks before the November 5 election.
The Apprentice delves into Trump’s early career in New York real estate, highlighting his mentorship under the notorious defense attorney Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. The film has already sparked significant controversy, particularly due to a scene depicting an alleged rape of Ivana Trump—a claim originally made in her 1990 divorce deposition but later retracted.
Despite facing significant challenges, including the reluctance of larger studios to distribute the film due to potential legal risks, Abbasi is resolute in his decision to release the film before the election. The Trump campaign has strongly opposed the film, denouncing it as “malicious defamation” and threatening legal action.
Briarcliff Entertainment, recognized for its distribution of the 2022 documentary Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down and the thriller Memory, will now bring The Apprentice to the big screen. The film is expected to reignite debates over its portrayal of the former president and its possible influence on the upcoming election.
