The highly anticipated biopic “The Apprentice,” starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, has found itself in the midst of a legal battle even before its U.S. release. Attorneys representing the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, have issued a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers, alleging that the movie is “a concoction of lies” and demanding an immediate halt to its distribution and marketing within the country.
According to reports from Deadline, the letter from Trump’s legal team states, “The movie presents itself as a factual biography of Mr. Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth. It is a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections. If you do not immediately cease and desist all distribution and marketing of this libelous farce, we will be forced to pursue all appropriate legal remedies.”
Directed by Ali Abbasi, written by Gabriel Sherman, and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, “The Apprentice” explores the early career of Trump and his influential relationship with the notorious New York City prosecutor, Roy Cohn. The official synopsis describes the film as “a profound exploration of the ascent of an American dynasty” that “charts the genesis of a ‘zero-sum’ culture, one that accentuates the dichotomy between winners and losers, the dynamics between the mighty and the vulnerable, and the intricate psychology of persona.”
In response to the cease-and-desist letter, the producers behind “The Apprentice” have defended their portrayal, advising Trump’s lawyers to watch the movie before passing judgment. “The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president. We want everyone to see it and then decide,” they stated.
Director Ali Abbasi previously addressed criticism from Trump’s team, stating, “Donald’s team should wait (until) they watch the movie before they start suing us. I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie that he would dislike. I don’t necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised. … 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.”
The biopic had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival earlier this month and has received largely positive reviews from critics, with a respectable 78% rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have particularly praised the central performances from Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, with The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney commending Stan for going “beyond impersonation” in his portrayal of the young Trump.
While “The Apprentice” awaits a U.S. distributor, StudioCanal has acquired distribution rights for the UK and Ireland. As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s cease-and-desist letter will succeed in blocking the film’s release in the United States or if the producers’ defense of a “fair and balanced” portrayal will prevail, allowing audiences to form their own opinions on the controversial biopic.
