Sebastian Stan, right, as Donald Trump in “The Apprentice”. Cannes Film Festival
Dear Commons Community,
The Press Rundown is reporting that after facing challenges in generating interest following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film “The Apprentice,” starring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump, has secured a distributor. Briarcliff Entertainment is set to release the movie in U.S. and Canadian theaters on October 11, just weeks before the November election.
Director Ali Abbasi, a Danish Iranian filmmaker, has been keen on getting the film out before voters head to the polls. Despite facing setbacks with larger studios and distributors passing on the film, Abbasi expressed frustration in June over what he perceived as interference in the film’s release.
The Trump campaign, however, has strongly condemned the movie’s release as “election interference by Hollywood elites.” Steven Cheung, communications director for the campaign, labeled the film as “malicious defamation” that should not see the light of day.
One factor contributing to the lack of interest in “The Apprentice” was the potential threat of legal action from the Trump team. Following the Cannes premiere, Cheung dismissed the film as “pure fiction” and pledged to take legal action against the filmmakers.
The film portrays Trump’s ascent in New York real estate under the guidance of defense attorney Roy Cohn, with controversial scenes depicting allegations of rape involving Trump and his ex-wife Ivana Trump. Despite the sensitive subject matter, Abbasi has expressed a willingness to engage with the Trump campaign to discuss the context of the movie.
Briarcliff Entertainment, the distributor behind “The Apprentice,” has a track record of releasing a variety of films, including the documentary “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” and the Liam Neeson thriller “Memory.” The distributor is led by Tom Ortenberg, known for his involvement in successful films like “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Spotlight.”
This will be a much-watched film at least among Democrats!
Tony
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