'The Apprentice' Trump Film Sold for UK Distribution Ahead of Cannes Premiere

A new film titled The Apprentice, depicting Donald Trump's rise to power in the 1980s, has been sold for distribution in UK cinemas. The acquisition was announced by StudioCanal on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

The biographical drama will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is directed by Ali Abbasi, known for Holy Spider and Border. Written by Vanity Fair correspondent Gabe Sherman, the movie stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. Martin Donovan plays Fred Trump Sr.

The Apprentice dramatizes Trump's early career and his association with political fixer Roy Cohn, portraying it as a "Faustian deal." The film will be released in UK and Irish cinemas later this year, coinciding with the US presidential election in which Trump is the Republican candidate.

The film’s release comes amid Trump’s legal battles, including a hush money trial in New York where he is charged with falsifying business records. The former president faces possible imprisonment if he continues to violate a gag order related to the case.

The Apprentice will be screened at the Grand Theatre Lumiere in Cannes on Monday night.