Shocking Trump Biopic ‘The Apprentice’ Hitting US Screens Before Election Day!

Mark your calendars for an October surprise that is already guaranteed: the Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” will be hitting theaters on October 11, in the run-up to the presidential election. After creating a buzz at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival back in May, Briarcliff Entertainment has taken on the film’s theatrical distribution.

Before its nationwide release in the U.S., “The Apprentice” is rumored to be one of the surprise additions to the Telluride Film Festival’s lineup, which starts this Friday. The film features Sebastian Stan in the role of the business mogul turned reality TV star and politician, with Jeremy Strong portraying his infamous lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn. This will be the first opportunity for North American audiences to see the film.

“The Apprentice,” directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi (known for “Holy Spider”), presents a harsh narrative of Trump’s aggressive ascent in New York during the 1970s and ’80s. The film debuted in competition at Cannes, sparking immediate controversy. The Times characterized the film as “captivatingly sordid” and depicts Trump in a decidedly negative light. He is portrayed as a slimy, heartless social climber who abandons his alcoholic brother, sexually assaults his first wife, Ivana (played by Maria Bakalova), in their New York penthouse, and undergoes liposuction and cosmetic surgery to address hair loss.

Following the film’s debut, Trump’s campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, harshly criticized it as “pure fiction” and “rubbish,” promising to pursue legal action against the filmmakers to hinder its release. “This ‘film’ is nothing but malignant slander, should never be shown, and doesn’t even deserve a spot in the straight-to-DVD section of a discount bin at a soon-to-shut-down budget movie store,” Cheung’s statement read.

Ali Abbasi defended his film during a press conference at Cannes, arguing, “It’s time to bring politics back into movies.” He shrugged off Trump’s lawsuit threats, commenting, “Everyone talks about how he sues plenty of people. They don’t mention his success rate, though.”

Despite securing distribution in Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia following its Cannes premiere, the film’s future in the U.S. was uncertain. Studios, streaming platforms, and independent distributors were wary of provoking Trump and his followers. However, after months of negotiations, Briarcliff took the plunge and acquired the domestic distribution rights for the film.

Telluride traditionally reserves a number of titles for surprise screenings each year, and “The Apprentice” would certainly add more firepower to a lineup already filled with politically charged content. This year’s festival is expected to attract political figures including Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, who will be supporting the documentary on abortion rights “Zurawski v Texas,” and Democratic strategist James Carville, the focus of the new documentary “Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!”