Your First Look At Donald Trump Biopic, Produced Against His Wishes

Video screenshot via Release The Apprentice

Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice is about to put Donald Trump’s early career back in the spotlight—this time, on the big screen. The biographical drama, which stars Sebastian Stan as a young Trump and Jeremy Strong as his controversial mentor Roy Cohn, explores Trump’s rise in New York’s cutthroat real estate world during the 1970s and 80s.

Viewers get a glimpse of the tycoon’s complex relationship with Roy Cohn, a lawyer infamous for his work with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare. Cohn’s mentorship is portrayed as instrumental in shaping Trump’s tactics—teaching him how to leverage media attention, use intimidation, and consolidate power. Alongside this, the film features Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump.

After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, the film is set to land in US theaters on October 11, 2024.

While the story’s content is sure to stir conversation, the film’s journey to the screen was just as dramatic. Legal threats from Trump and his associates scared off major distributors, leaving the filmmakers in a tough spot.

Undeterred, the producers turned to Kickstarter, launching a campaign that not only hit its US$100,000 target but surpassed it in no time, proving that audiences were eager to see this chapter of Trump’s life told through Abbasi’s lens.

You can take a first look at the minute-long preview clip below.

[via USA Today, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, video and cover screenshot via Release The Apprentice]