Why few people have seen Oscar-worthy Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong in 'The Apprentice'

Sebastian Stan has received both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the young Donald Trump as the businessman climbed the social ladder in New York in the 1970s and 80s.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

The movie involves a great supporting role by 'Succession's Jeremy Strong as Donald Trump's mentor. In fact, the 'Apprentice' of the movie title is Donald Trump in his younger years. Jeremy Strong, too, has been nominated for an Oscar.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

Despite these great performances and the intriguing story, few people have seen the psychological drama. What happened?

Photo: Poster of 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films, Apprentice Productions

The director of the 2024 film found it difficult to get a distributor for the film. The BBC says that movie distributors were wary because Donald Trump threatened to sue everyone involved in the project.

Eventually, this didn't happen, as many media outlets report. Still, the small distribution of the film has led to very few members of the public being able to judge the portrayal of Trump for themselves.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

What is the film about, and why didn't Trump want anyone to see it?

Image: Maria Bakalova as Ivana and Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump in a photo by Pief Weyman, Apprentice Productions

The title 'The Apprentice' is closely related to Donald Trump, thanks to his famous reality show in which he trained entrepreneurs. However, in the film, Trump himself is the apprentice. He learns all of his (questionable) morals and skills from the famous New York lawyer Roy Cohn. Either way, the title makes it clear that its creator went for a direct reference to Trump's later reality shows.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

Director Ali Abbasi did not mince words about the subject matter of his film after presenting it at the Cannes Festival. "There is no nice metaphorical way to deal with the rising wave of f4sc1sm. There’s only the messy way. There’s only the the banal way," he commented at the film's presentation.

The Danish-nationalized Iranian director believes that "the good people have been quiet for too long. So, I think it’s time to make movies relevant. It's time to make movies political again." And so did it, with a fine satire of Donald Trump that did not sit well with its main subject.

The businessman, then still running for president, threatened legal action against the film, as confirmed by his campaign spokesperson, Steve Cheung. In statements to 'Variety', his attorneys called the film "a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections."

The suggested lawsuit would address the "blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked," Trump's team stated, adding that the film was "election interference by Hollywood elites."

Ali Abbasi, far from being intimidated by the lawsuit, responded to the threats after presenting the film in Cannes in 2024. "Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people. They don't talk about his success rate."

What's more, the director jokingly offered to accompany Donald Trump to a screening to see the film, ensuring that it could surprise him.

The film represents the businessman in the years in which he forged the basis of his current fame. It draws a protagonist without principles, though some situations have been taken to the absurd.

Even so, Ali Abbasi included some very specific scenes,  for which there are confirmations from the real circles of Donald Trump, that his team is strongly against. It says that these scenes include blatantly false claims.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

In one scene, the protagonist undergoes liposuction and skull surgery to increase his head of hair. In another scene, he physically abuses Ivana Trump, his first wife, played by Maria Bakalova.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

Roy Cohn, the character of Jeremy Strong, is a layered character with strengths and weaknesses, who eventually appears to be betrayed by his apprentice at a time he needs him the most.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

To cover its bases, the movie begins with a disclaimer that many of its events are fictionalised. Despite the precautions, most distributors were reluctant to play the film.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

Trump's reaction to the controversial film has given it a huge publicity boost, which is better than complete silence. And then there's the 'Hollywood elite,' still, prepared to nominate and perhaps even award the actors of this controversial movie with the highest honor: an Oscar.

Photo: 'The Apprentice' / Vertigo Films

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