First Clip Released from Controversial Donald Trump Biopic ‘The Apprentice’

The upcoming film, “The Apprentice,” offers viewers a glimpse of Marvel star Sebastian Stan portraying a young Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, Briarcliff Entertainment released a scene from the Ali Abbasi-directed biopic, which earlier faced threats of legal action from Trump’s presidential campaign.

In the clip, “Succession” star Jeremy Strong plays Trump’s notorious mentor, the late U.S. prosecutor Roy Cohn, who was disbarred before his death at 59 in 1986. Cohn coaches the young businessman during a phone interview with a reporter while the two ride in the back of a car.

“I intend to acquire the Commodore, and I’m planning on making it the best and the finest building in the city, maybe the country — in the world, Judy, in the world,” Stan says, as Strong silently encourages him to emphasize the grandeur of the deal.

“It’s going to be the finest building in the world. It’s going to be a spectacular hotel, absolutely spectacular, first-class,” Stan continues.

“Listen, it’s your life. You’ve got a ways to go, but you’re learning,” Strong says after promising the reporter to continue the interview in person.

The movie, featuring Maria Bakalova as Trump’s first wife Ivana Trump, is set for release on Oct. 11. It premiered internationally at the Cannes Film Festival in May and had its North American premiere at the Telluride Film Festival last weekend. It currently holds a 73% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 reviews.

The film also initiated a “Release The Apprentice” Kickstarter fundraiser, aiming to raise $100,000 for legal and campaign fees as well as promotional costs.

“The obstacles we have faced releasing this movie are well documented. Our distribution was blocked. We were hit with a cease and desist from Trump’s lawyers. Major media companies were afraid to show you this movie,” states the fundraiser’s description. “Releasing this movie has become a DAVID and GOLIATH struggle, but with your support, you can help #ReleaseTheApprentice.”

“The Apprentice” is described as “a candid portrayal of Donald Trump’s rise to power” in the 1970s and ’80s, offering an “unfiltered look at Trump’s complicated and often unseemly journey.”

“These legal threats have caused major media companies to shy away from distributing the film, fearing potential retribution if Trump is re-elected,” the film’s promoters explain. “Despite this, the filmmakers are pursuing a grassroots, independent approach to distribution.”

Following its Cannes premiere, a Trump campaign spokesman announced plans to sue the filmmakers in statements released to various media outlets.

“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” stated Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, to Variety and Deadline. “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.”

Cheung described the movie as “pure malicious defamation” and insisted it “should not see the light of day.”

The film reportedly includes a scene depicting Trump raping Ivana Trump, according to The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Ivana Trump had once accused Donald Trump of rape during a divorce deposition but later retracted her statement.

According to The Daily Beast, she said in the 1993 book “Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump” that in 1989, “Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a ‘rape,’ but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.”

Director Ali Abbasi responded to the Trump campaign’s legal threat by noting, “Everybody talks about (Trump) suing a lot of people. They don’t talk about his success rate, though.” He added that while he understands why the former president might find the movie “demeaning” and a “conspiracy,” he should watch it for himself.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump biopic releases first clip from controversial ‘The Apprentice’ film

Source: USA TODAY