The Apprentice | |
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Directed by | Ali Abbasi |
Written by |
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Produced by | Daniel Bekerman Jacob Jarek Julianne Forde Ruth Treacy Louis Tisné |
Starring | Sebastian Stan Jeremy Strong Maria Bakalova Martin Donovan Joe Pingue Mark Rendall |
Cinematography | Kasper Tuxen |
Edited by | Olivier Bugge Coutté Olivia Neergaard-Holm |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Mongrel Media[1] (Canada) StudioCanal (Ireland) |
Release date |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
Countries | Canada Denmark Ireland United States[2] |
Language | English |
The Apprentice is a 2024 biographical drama film directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman. Starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, the film examines Trump's career as a real estate businessman in New York in the 1970s and 80s. The film also stars Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan.
The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024.
Set during the early years of Trump's business career, the film is reported to mainly focus on the relationship of Trump and Roy Cohn, a New York City prosecutor notable for working with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare. It is described as "a mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception."[3]
The film was first announced in May 2018, with Sherman slated to write the screenplay.[4] In October 2023, Abbasi was confirmed to be joining the film as director and, as initially reported, co-writer.[5] However, it was later confirmed that Gabriel Sherman would be the film's sole writer. The film began principal photography in November 2023, where Stan, Strong, and Bakalova were announced as the lead roles.[3][6] Filming wrapped on January 28, 2024.[7] In February 2024, Martin Donovan joined the cast portraying Fred Trump.[8]
The film was submitted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, scheduled to be held from May 14 to 25, 2024.[9] It was announced to be included in competition for the Palme d'Or in April 2024, alongside 18 other films.[10] It had its world premiere on May 20, 2024.[11] Prior to, StudioCanal acquired UK and Irish distribution rights to the film.[12]
On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 8 critic reviews indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Cannes Film Festival | May 25, 2024 | Palme d'Or | Ali Abbasi | Pending | [14] |