Starring Sebastian Stan, it will cover the growth of the real estate magnate from his 20s, and his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn.
The film has nothing to do with the hit NBC reality show. Instead, it focuses on the billionaire presidential hopeful when he was 20 years old. In that sense, The Apprentice chronicles Trump’s relationship with his lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong, star of Succession ).
According to The Hollywood Reporter , The Apprentice will be distributed by Briarcliff Entertainment and will be released in North American theaters on October 11. THR reported that the film will also feature an awards season promotional campaign.
The official tagline for the biographical drama reads: «The Apprentice is an immersive deep dive into the secrets of American empire. It follows young Donald Trump’s rise to power through a Faustian bargain with influential right-wing lawyer and political manipulator Roy Cohn.»
Directed by Ali Abbasi , The Apprentice also stars Oscar-nominated Borat Subsequent Moviefilm actress Maria Bakalova , who will play Ivana Trump , and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump , Donald Trump’s father.
The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
Among the critics who saw The Apprentice in May, during its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, was Deadline ’s Pete Hammond . In his review of the film, he writes: “This is not a slam on Trump. Consider the 77-year-old we see today at MAGA conferences and in courtrooms defending his indictments on a number of charges, including starting an insurrection to overturn the 2020 election.”
“Instead, it presents a somewhat impulsive but clumsy person, a man struggling to win the approval of a tough-loving father, insecure but determined to succeed and even oddly charming at times.” Hammond also called The Apprentice a “devilish origin story.”
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman praised the film (particularly Avengers star Sebastian Stan’s performance as the young Donald Trump), but believes the story doesn’t delve deeply enough into the mystery of who Trump is.
“In its first half, The Apprentice is something of a coup: the inside look at the Trump evolution that so many of us imagine, and watching it unfold is compelling and fascinating,” Gleiberman writes. “I do have one problem with the movie, though, and it hinges on the Trump mystery. I don’t think The Apprentice ever delves into it.”
