Shortly after Ali Abbasi’s film The Apprentice, which explores Donald Trump's origins, had its world premiere at Cannes, Trump’s legal team sent a cease and desist letter to the filmmakers.
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| Ali Abbasi at 'The Apprentice' New York premiere. John Nacion/Getty Images |
However, with the film now set to finally hit U.S. theaters on Friday, distributed by Tom Ortenberg’s Briarcliff Entertainment and Rich Spirit, Trump’s legal team has remained largely silent regarding the project.
Although Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the film in a statement, the former president, based on reports, hasn’t issued any new legal threats against the movie nor has he made any high-profile statements about it on Truth Social or during his rallies.
When asked at The Apprentice's New York premiere—located just a block away from Trump Tower—whether he anticipated any further legal action from Trump, director Ali Abbasi stood by his film and expressed doubt that Trump’s team would take any steps.
“I doubt they have the guts to go after this film,” Abbasi told Reporter. “I don’t think they will because they know we’re in the right. They understand that there’s nothing to sue over. Everything has been checked multiple times, both journalistically and legally. There’s simply nothing to challenge, you know.”
Still, Abbasi was firm about any potential threats in the future: “I mean, let them come. That’s what I’d tell them.”
The screening, held at New York’s DGA Theater, saw attendance from stars Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Maria Bakalova, along with writer Gabriel Sherman, producer Daniel Bekerman, executive producer Amy Baer, and even former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who walked the red carpet and spoke to the press.
Cohen, who told Reporter that he was invited by his long-time acquaintance Sherman, said he was curious to see the film and shared some thoughts on how Trump might respond publicly.
“It all depends on the reviews. If the reviews are highly critical of him, he will react to it,” Cohen told Reporter. “What Trump doesn’t want to do is to fuel the conversation about something he didn’t want out there. The more he talks about it, the more attention it gets, and the more people will obviously want to watch it. As Trump often says, bad press can sometimes be good press.”
The film focuses on the relationship between Trump (played by Stan) and New York power broker Roy Cohn (portrayed by Strong), during the time when Trump was rising as a real estate mogul in the 1970s and 80s. It shows how Cohn played a key role in shaping Trump into the person he is today.
Cohen also acknowledged seeing the effects of Cohn’s influence while working for Trump.
“The level of loyalty you were expected to show wasn’t something you typically find in other companies,” Cohen noted. “It was demanded, and I gave it. I know that’s something Roy Cohn instilled in him.”
Despite the film being released less than a month before the 2024 election, the filmmakers maintain that it isn’t a politically-driven hit piece, but rather an in-depth look at Trump’s early career.
When asked what message they wanted voters to take away from the movie, Bekerman said he hoped it would offer viewers “a new perspective.”
“I truly hope this film presents a fresh angle on issues that people have long stopped thinking critically about because they’ve formed rigid opinions one way or the other. This movie offers a new way to examine things through a more humanistic storytelling lens,” Bekerman told Reporter. “By connecting with these characters as real people, as Ali directed them, and as the actors portrayed them with the respect they deserved—without reducing them to caricatures, which is how they’re often portrayed in the media—I believe the film opens up the possibility of a new viewpoint, which is always valuable, especially right now.”
Abbasi, meanwhile, encouraged viewers to approach the film with an open mind.
While he emphasized the movie’s entertainment value over its potential political impact, Abbasi insisted this was the right moment for its release.
“I think it’s a ride. It’s an experience. I actually think it’s really entertaining. The soundtrack is fantastic, and the performances are incredible. So it’s not entirely about Donald Trump—whether for or against,” he said. “It’s coming out before the election because this is the biggest event. And I would be crazy to pass up the opportunity to release it, given that it’s about a person who’s running for president. I’m not going to tell you how to vote, but if you’re curious about the kind of person Trump is and how he got to where he is today, we’ve got some answers for you.”
