All About The Apprentice, the Controversial Donald Trump Film Starring Sebastian Stan

Sebastian Stan is taking on the role of Donald Trump for his latest film, The Apprentice.

The movie, which was first announced back in 2018, reportedly follows a young Trump during the early days of his career in the ‘70s and ‘80s as he builds his real estate business in New York City. 

Described as “a mentor-protégé narrative,” the movie features an ensemble cast playing real-life figures from Trump’s inner circle such as Roy Cohn, Ivana Trump and Fred Trump.

Following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the movie is already sparking a lot of discussion for its controversial moments, notably from Trump’s team. Steven Cheung, a communications director for the Trump campaign, revealed they plan on filing a lawsuit to “address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.” 

From the cast to the plot, here’s everything to know about The Apprentice. 

Who is in the cast of The Apprentice?

The film stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump during his early career in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Though Stan has made a name for himself playing Bucky Barnes in the Marvel universe, he is no stranger to playing controversial real-life figures, including Tommy Lee in the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy and Tonya Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya. 

The cast also includes Succession actor Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, a prominent lawyer known for being Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954; Bodies Bodies Bodies actress Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, Trump’s first wife whom he was married to from 1977 to 1990; Weeds actor Martin Donovan as Fred Trump, Trump’s father who died in June 1999; and The Book of Eli actor Joe Pingue as Anthony Salerno, an American mobster who served as underboss and front boss of the Genovese crime family in the early ‘80s.

What is The Apprentice about?

Though an official synopsis hasn’t been released yet, the film is said to document Trump’s early career in the real estate business in New York City from the ���70s to the ‘80s. 

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film is a “mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception.”

Who is directing The Apprentice?

The movie is being helmed by Ali Abbasi, who is best known for his international films Shelley, Border and Holy Spider as well as directing two episodes of The Last of Us season 1. 

When did The Apprentice film?

Filming for the project first began in November 2023, when Stan, Strong and Bakalova’s roles were announced. The following month, people got the first look at Stan in character as he filmed a scene in N.Y.C. wearing Trump’s signature attire of a suit, tie and long black coat, while donning a wig.

The movie reportedly wrapped production in early January 2024, and the first official image from the movie was shared a few months later in April ahead of its Cannes debut. 

What is the controversy surrounding The Apprentice?

As the film held its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, the movie quickly made headlines for its shocking moments, including a scene that shows Trump getting liposuction which reportedly “drew audible gasps” from the audience, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

Notably, a scene that depicts Trump raping his first wife Ivana has caused controversy. Ivana once accused Trump of raping her in the late '80s during their divorce proceedings, as The Daily Beast reported in 2015, though later recanted this statement in 1993. 

Despite its controversial moments, the film was met with a reported eight-minute standing ovation with critics largely praising Stan’s performance of Trump without making the character feel too much like a parody. 

What has Donald Trump said about The Apprentice?

Though Trump has not personally commented on the film, his team has shared their thoughts. Shortly after the film premiered at Cannes, Steven Cheung, a communications director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that they would be “filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers."

"This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked," Cheung added. "This 'film' is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. It belongs in a dumpster fire."

Despite the threat of legal action, the film’s director appeared unconcerned at a festival press conference for the film on May 21, noting that “everybody talks about him suing a lot of people” however “they don't talk about his success rate” with following through.  

He added that he does not "necessarily think this is a movie” Trump would dislike, but one he might be “surprised” by. "Like I said before, I would be happy — I would offer to go and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening and have a chat afterwards, if that's interesting for anyone of Trump campaign people here," he added.

When will The Apprentice be released?

The film held its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024. However, an official release date has yet to be announced.