With the release of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” on May 10, this year’s Best Visual Effects Oscar race just got a lot more interesting. That’s because we’re almost guaranteed to get three, possibly even four, movies in the race that are follow-ups to previous Visual Effects nominees. “Apes” is likely to be the fourth movie in its franchise nominated for the innovative performance capture used to help create the film’s photo-realistic apes. Three previous films, starring Andy Serkis, were nominated for Oscars in the category in 2011, 2014, and 2017, but none of them won.
The work done by director Wes Ball and his team has made “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” a serious contender in multiple below-the-line categories, not just visual effects. Its production design and sound are equally impressive. But the academy branch that’s most likely to be impressed will be the...
The work done by director Wes Ball and his team has made “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” a serious contender in multiple below-the-line categories, not just visual effects. Its production design and sound are equally impressive. But the academy branch that’s most likely to be impressed will be the...
- 5/22/2024
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Little Mermaid.A generative AI start-up has been accused of stealing the voices of actors for its subscription service.IATSE expects to schedule additional days of bargaining with AMPTP in June, but has vowed not to extend its contract past July 31.With Incaa defunded by Argentine president Javier Milei, Ventana Sur is in talks to relocate from Buenos Aires to Uruguay for its sixteenth edition.As the Italian film industry continues to wait on a divided government to make production tax credits available, anticipating modest cuts, a new law in the Czech Parliament would more than double the existing cap on their incentives. Meanwhile, industry insiders in Poland urge a newly elected government to increase their rebate...
- 5/22/2024
- MUBI
A handful of competition premieres just made their way to the Palais to mixed results as the festival starts to wind down, the Cannes Marche du Film shutters Wednesday, and guests pack it up and head home.
In his second time competing for the Palme d’Or after “Red Rocket” three years ago, Sean Baker debuted the spectacularly alive and even exasperating “Anora” (Neon), starring Mikey Madison (“Better Things”) in a breakout, brilliant-from-the-gate lead performance as sex worker Ani. Living paycheck to paycheck in Queens while working as an exotic dancer in Manhattan, she meets a wealthy Russian, Timothée Chalamet-esque Ivan. He pays Ani $15,000 to be his “very horny girlfriend” for a week of debauchery in Vegas and in his remote Brooklyn cocaine mansion. They end up getting married impromptu, much to the unhappiness of Ivan’s parents, who make their return to the U.S. from Russia to get the marriage canceled.
In his second time competing for the Palme d’Or after “Red Rocket” three years ago, Sean Baker debuted the spectacularly alive and even exasperating “Anora” (Neon), starring Mikey Madison (“Better Things”) in a breakout, brilliant-from-the-gate lead performance as sex worker Ani. Living paycheck to paycheck in Queens while working as an exotic dancer in Manhattan, she meets a wealthy Russian, Timothée Chalamet-esque Ivan. He pays Ani $15,000 to be his “very horny girlfriend” for a week of debauchery in Vegas and in his remote Brooklyn cocaine mansion. They end up getting married impromptu, much to the unhappiness of Ivan’s parents, who make their return to the U.S. from Russia to get the marriage canceled.
- 5/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Maria Bakalova doesn't consider 'The Apprentice' to be a Donald Trump "biopic".The 27-year-old actress plays the former US president's first wife Ivana Trump in the movie about his business career during the 1970s and 80s and insists that Ali Abbasi's film is about more than just the controversial politician - who is portrayed by Sebastian Stan in the flick.Maria told Deadline's Breaking Baz column at the Cannes Film Festival: "This is not a biopic. I don't see this as a biopic, because not every single detail of Trump's life exists in this movie."And I don't want to say this is a Trump movie. I think this is a bigger movie than just focused on one person that is not completely the same story. And it's inspired by him, but it's not a biopic for me."'The Apprentice' implies that Ivana, who died...
- 5/22/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Trump has spoken out against The Apprentice, but he’s not the first celebrity to attack an unflattering big-screen portrait
More than any film at this year’s Cannes film festival – more than Megalopolis or that film where Demi Moore pushes Margaret Qualley’s face out of her spine – Ali Abbasi’s new film The Apprentice has dominated the news cycle.
This is because The Apprentice is a Donald Trump biopic, and one that has aggressively chosen not to pull a single punch. Played by Sebastian Stan, the Trump of The Apprentice is seen receiving liposuction and hair transplants, and more seriously, raping his wife Ivana. Although reaction has been mixed – Peter Bradshaw called the film “obtuse and irrelevant” in his two-star review this week – it may yet prove to cause damage to Trump’s election chances this year.
More than any film at this year’s Cannes film festival – more than Megalopolis or that film where Demi Moore pushes Margaret Qualley’s face out of her spine – Ali Abbasi’s new film The Apprentice has dominated the news cycle.
This is because The Apprentice is a Donald Trump biopic, and one that has aggressively chosen not to pull a single punch. Played by Sebastian Stan, the Trump of The Apprentice is seen receiving liposuction and hair transplants, and more seriously, raping his wife Ivana. Although reaction has been mixed – Peter Bradshaw called the film “obtuse and irrelevant” in his two-star review this week – it may yet prove to cause damage to Trump’s election chances this year.
- 5/22/2024
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Making it three features in a row that’ll have premiered on the Croisette, Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi saw his sophomore feature Border play like gangbusters in the Un Certain Regard section (winning the top prize via the Benicio Del Toro-led jury). Four years later in 2022, he presented Holy Spider (read review) and that won Zar Amir Ebrahimi the Best Actress Palme. The film scored an average of 3.0 with our jury. Jumping into production in late 2023 in Toronto, The Apprentice features Silver Bear Winner Sebastian Stan plays a younger Donald Trump in this piece of satire.
Gist: Written by Gabe Sherman, taking place in 70s and 80s NYC, this charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.…...
Gist: Written by Gabe Sherman, taking place in 70s and 80s NYC, this charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.…...
- 5/22/2024
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.As part of our Cannes 2024 coverage, we invited critics and programmers to share their thoughts on one moment from a film they've seen at the festival so far.Sign up for the Weekly Edit to receive exclusive reports from the Croisette straight to your inbox.Miriam BaleElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes by Nanette Burstein (co-director of The Kid Stays in the Picture) is in some ways a straightforward chronological documentary of the movie star's fascinating, tabloid-centric life. What makes the film formally interesting, though, is the separation of voice and image. Burstein’s reliance on audio recordings of Taylor made in 1964 and 1985 foregrounds her remarkable voice over her blinding beauty, seen in stills and film clips. Taylor's voice, even at ages 32 and 53, can range from girlish and flirtatious to bawdy and shrill, sometimes within the same statement. When she describes how the AIDS crisis led...
- 5/21/2024
- MUBI
Exclusive: Dahlings, Oscar-nominated Maria Bakalova is channeling an essence of Ivana Trump, who she praises as a “boss lady,” when we meet on a terrace at the Palais to natter about her slyly sublime portrait of Donald Trump’s first wife in filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s Cannes hit The Apprentice.
Bulgarian-born Bakalova plays Czechoslovakian-American Ivana Trump opposite Romanian-born Sebstian Stan’s astute portrayal of Donald Trump.
They married in 1977 when, perhaps, excess and bad taste weren’t as frowned upon it is today.
Bakalova is wearing a bespoke navy blue short-sleeved jacket with white cuffs that match a white skirt created for her by London-based Han Chong’s Self-Portrait label.
“Yes, it was made as an inspiration for Ivana,” says Bakalova, “because we didn’t want it to be exactly the same, but a nod to Ivana, like a power dressing, power style.”
Ivana Trump at the 1988 Council of Fashion...
Bulgarian-born Bakalova plays Czechoslovakian-American Ivana Trump opposite Romanian-born Sebstian Stan’s astute portrayal of Donald Trump.
They married in 1977 when, perhaps, excess and bad taste weren’t as frowned upon it is today.
Bakalova is wearing a bespoke navy blue short-sleeved jacket with white cuffs that match a white skirt created for her by London-based Han Chong’s Self-Portrait label.
“Yes, it was made as an inspiration for Ivana,” says Bakalova, “because we didn’t want it to be exactly the same, but a nod to Ivana, like a power dressing, power style.”
Ivana Trump at the 1988 Council of Fashion...
- 5/21/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
For a biopic about Donald Trump, The Apprentice is surprisingly concerned with other things. The film has exactly what you might expect and somehow a curiosity around every corner, a familiar historical intrigue firmly planted in a tonal shock. The shock comes from its subtlety and perspective, the latter of which has a unique bent for a film about an ex-President debuting in an election year that spotlights his third campaign.
As you can imagine, there’s no shortage of American directors looking to cinematically take down Trump. But, for now, none of them get to. At least not as blatantly as Ali Abbasi, the international director who won the job to tell the story of the debased mogul from the early ’70s to the mid-80s.
The Apprentice––aptly named after both the reality TV show Trump (Sebastian Stan) created and young Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn––marks...
As you can imagine, there’s no shortage of American directors looking to cinematically take down Trump. But, for now, none of them get to. At least not as blatantly as Ali Abbasi, the international director who won the job to tell the story of the debased mogul from the early ’70s to the mid-80s.
The Apprentice––aptly named after both the reality TV show Trump (Sebastian Stan) created and young Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn––marks...
- 5/21/2024
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
The first reviews for Donald Trump movie The Apprentice are in, following its world premiere at Cannes.
Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, the film follows Sebastian Stan’s Trump during his rise to power in 1980s America, as he’s mentored by firebrand right-wing attorney Roy Cohn, played by Succession star Jeremy Strong.
The cast also includes Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donavan as the former president’s father Fred Trump Sr.
The movie, which currently doesn’t have a U.S. distributor, holds a 69 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of Tuesday.
Though the Trump campaign has threatened to sue over the film, Abbasi offered to screen the movie for the former president and talk about it with him, saying, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike.”
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people,...
Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, the film follows Sebastian Stan’s Trump during his rise to power in 1980s America, as he’s mentored by firebrand right-wing attorney Roy Cohn, played by Succession star Jeremy Strong.
The cast also includes Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donavan as the former president’s father Fred Trump Sr.
The movie, which currently doesn’t have a U.S. distributor, holds a 69 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of Tuesday.
Though the Trump campaign has threatened to sue over the film, Abbasi offered to screen the movie for the former president and talk about it with him, saying, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike.”
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
So this is what economizing looks like in Cannes.
The rosé still flowed, though not as freely, and it was easier to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred restaurants that are usually booked months in advance of the film festival. There were still rooms to be had at the Hôtel du Cap, the posh resort where studio chiefs and movie stars typically stay. Most troubling, the deals — both for completed films that premiered in Cannes and the packages that hit the Côte d’Azur searching for financing — are taking much longer to close.
Even in the shimmering south of France there’s no escaping that the movie business, having endured Covid shutdowns and two devastating labor strikes, has lost much of its luster. Donna Langley, the chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group, was blunt during a talk, noting that the domestic box office is down 20% and the global box office has...
The rosé still flowed, though not as freely, and it was easier to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred restaurants that are usually booked months in advance of the film festival. There were still rooms to be had at the Hôtel du Cap, the posh resort where studio chiefs and movie stars typically stay. Most troubling, the deals — both for completed films that premiered in Cannes and the packages that hit the Côte d’Azur searching for financing — are taking much longer to close.
Even in the shimmering south of France there’s no escaping that the movie business, having endured Covid shutdowns and two devastating labor strikes, has lost much of its luster. Donna Langley, the chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group, was blunt during a talk, noting that the domestic box office is down 20% and the global box office has...
- 5/21/2024
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The first time Donna Langley came to the Cannes Film Festival she was a junior executive working on 1999’s “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.”
“I had just been promoted and I was fortunate enough to get picked to come on this trip to be part of the support team, and it was great! It was very different to this experience, I will say,” Langley said, eliciting a laugh from the well-heeled crowd at the Kering Women in Motion dinner, held at the Place de la Castre high above the Croisette. “[But] we had the time of our lives. We were just in so much awe to be in the cinema capital of the world.”
Indeed, the chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group no longer needs to share an apartment with four other young women — especially not one situated behind the fancy hotels. After all — and as Cannes president Iris Knobloch...
“I had just been promoted and I was fortunate enough to get picked to come on this trip to be part of the support team, and it was great! It was very different to this experience, I will say,” Langley said, eliciting a laugh from the well-heeled crowd at the Kering Women in Motion dinner, held at the Place de la Castre high above the Croisette. “[But] we had the time of our lives. We were just in so much awe to be in the cinema capital of the world.”
Indeed, the chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group no longer needs to share an apartment with four other young women — especially not one situated behind the fancy hotels. After all — and as Cannes president Iris Knobloch...
- 5/21/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The ongoing conflict in Palestine between Israel and Hamas is one of the major global events that threatens the security of the whole world. And while we are going to leave the politics out of this article, we cannot escape from the fact that the conflict has also influenced the entertainment industry as well. We know how the Palestine crisis influenced the production of Scream 7, and we also know that many famous actors and actresses have expressed their desire for the conflict to end, as well as their support for one side or the other.
As of the time of writing, the Cannes Film Festival is the biggest cinematic event currently taking place, and many famous names are currently in France, either to promote their own works or to show support for their colleagues. We have reported on the events from Cannes as well, but a recent red-carpet moment...
As of the time of writing, the Cannes Film Festival is the biggest cinematic event currently taking place, and many famous names are currently in France, either to promote their own works or to show support for their colleagues. We have reported on the events from Cannes as well, but a recent red-carpet moment...
- 5/21/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Ali Abbasi’s film The Apprentice premiered at Cannes Film Festival on Monday evening and no sooner than the run time could reach its conclusion was the Trump Campaign already threatening to file a lawsuit. In response, Abbasi is extending the offer for Donald Trump to see the film for himself and draw his own conclusions, confident that the ex-president would be “surprised.”
“I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike,” Abbasi shared in response to the threat of legal action, according to Variety. “I...
“I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike,” Abbasi shared in response to the threat of legal action, according to Variety. “I...
- 5/21/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice has failed to impress the critics on Screen’s Cannes jury grid, recording the lowest score so far this year of 1.7.
The film tells Donald Trump’s origin story, with Sebastian Stan playing the future president and Jeremy Strong his ruthless lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn.
It earned eight scores of two (average), plus two ones (poor) and a zero (bad) from Mathieu Macharet at France’s Le Monde.
Click on the jury grid above for the most up-to-date version.
With a 1.7, it is just below Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada, which previously occupied the...
The film tells Donald Trump’s origin story, with Sebastian Stan playing the future president and Jeremy Strong his ruthless lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn.
It earned eight scores of two (average), plus two ones (poor) and a zero (bad) from Mathieu Macharet at France’s Le Monde.
Click on the jury grid above for the most up-to-date version.
With a 1.7, it is just below Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada, which previously occupied the...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is threatening legal action against The Apprentice, a new film from director Ali Abbasi charting Trump’s early years and his relationship with mentor Roy Cohn.
The film, which stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, debuted this week at the Cannes Film Festival. According to Variety, there are several scenes which paint Trump in a particularly unflattering light, including an instance in which he throws his then-wife Ivana to the ground and sexually assaults her. (Ivana described such an assault in a 1990 sworn deposition related to the couple’s divorce.)
Elsewhere in The Apprentice, Trump is depicted using amphetamine pills and getting liposuction and a hair transplant. It also documents some of his business failures.
You’d think by now that Team Trump would learn that the best way to not to give attention to a...
The film, which stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, debuted this week at the Cannes Film Festival. According to Variety, there are several scenes which paint Trump in a particularly unflattering light, including an instance in which he throws his then-wife Ivana to the ground and sexually assaults her. (Ivana described such an assault in a 1990 sworn deposition related to the couple’s divorce.)
Elsewhere in The Apprentice, Trump is depicted using amphetamine pills and getting liposuction and a hair transplant. It also documents some of his business failures.
You’d think by now that Team Trump would learn that the best way to not to give attention to a...
- 5/21/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Film News
Every superhero gets an origin story. So, for that matter, do most supervillains. The Apprentice drops viewers into New York circa 1973, when a 34-year-old resident of Queens walked in to the upper-crust establishment on the Upper West Side known as Le Club. He went there in an attempt to impress a young woman. He’d leave having met a well-known lawyer and well-connected member of New York’s elite, who would end up changing his life. The legal eagle was the notorious Roy Cohn. The outer-borough wannabe was Donald Trump.
- 5/21/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Ali Abbasi spoke at Cannes about his controversial new film, which the Trump campaign has said ‘belongs in a dumpster fire’
The protagonist of The Apprentice is a bully and a liar, a conman and a rapist. He rejects his sick brother, sexually assaults his doting wife and cuts a deal with the mafia in order to build a skyscraper. It’s safe to assume that followers of Donald Trump won’t relish the portrayal of their hero in Ali Abbasi’s new film. As for Trump himself, though, the director suspects that he might quite enjoy it.
“I don’t think it is a movie he would dislike,” said Abbasi after The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes film festival. “I don’t necessarily think he would like it, but I think he’d be surprised. So I’m happy to meet him, have a screening and then we can discuss it afterwards.
The protagonist of The Apprentice is a bully and a liar, a conman and a rapist. He rejects his sick brother, sexually assaults his doting wife and cuts a deal with the mafia in order to build a skyscraper. It’s safe to assume that followers of Donald Trump won’t relish the portrayal of their hero in Ali Abbasi’s new film. As for Trump himself, though, the director suspects that he might quite enjoy it.
“I don’t think it is a movie he would dislike,” said Abbasi after The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes film festival. “I don’t necessarily think he would like it, but I think he’d be surprised. So I’m happy to meet him, have a screening and then we can discuss it afterwards.
- 5/21/2024
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
He may be on trial for fraud in New York City, but Donald J. Trump has made his presence felt at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival.
The Iranian-born, Denmark-based film director Ali Abbasi debuted his newest movie “The Apprentice” in competition this week, and its number one critic is the former President of the United States and current Republican candidate for this year’s election. In “The Apprentice,” Sebastian Stan stars as the young Trump, with Emmy-winner and current Tony-nominee Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the notorious litigator Roy Cohn. (You can watch the successful Sundance-launched documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” for more about this relationship.)
Following the film’s bow Trump’s legal representative Steven Cheung released a Trump-style statement: “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.
The Iranian-born, Denmark-based film director Ali Abbasi debuted his newest movie “The Apprentice” in competition this week, and its number one critic is the former President of the United States and current Republican candidate for this year’s election. In “The Apprentice,” Sebastian Stan stars as the young Trump, with Emmy-winner and current Tony-nominee Jeremy Strong as his mentor, the notorious litigator Roy Cohn. (You can watch the successful Sundance-launched documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” for more about this relationship.)
Following the film’s bow Trump’s legal representative Steven Cheung released a Trump-style statement: “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.
- 5/21/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice Rumored to Have 'Oscars Potential' after Cannes Premiere - Main Image
Shortly after Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, rumors began circulating that Jeremy Strong's performance as Roy Cohn could have real Oscars potential.
Starring McU's Sebastian Stan as the former US President and Succession's Jeremy Strong as the mysterious US lawyer who helped Trump rise to power, The Apprentice has been one of the most highly anticipated Cannes releases this year.
Jeremy Strong Plays the Man Who Shaped Trump
Directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice tells the fictionalized story of former US President Donald Trump's real estate career in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jeremy Strong, best known for his long-running role as Kendall Roy in the critically-lauded drama Succession, depicts Roy Cohn, a much more cunning mentor than the likes of Kendall in the HBO series.
Cohn...
Shortly after Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, rumors began circulating that Jeremy Strong's performance as Roy Cohn could have real Oscars potential.
Starring McU's Sebastian Stan as the former US President and Succession's Jeremy Strong as the mysterious US lawyer who helped Trump rise to power, The Apprentice has been one of the most highly anticipated Cannes releases this year.
Jeremy Strong Plays the Man Who Shaped Trump
Directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice tells the fictionalized story of former US President Donald Trump's real estate career in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jeremy Strong, best known for his long-running role as Kendall Roy in the critically-lauded drama Succession, depicts Roy Cohn, a much more cunning mentor than the likes of Kendall in the HBO series.
Cohn...
- 5/21/2024
- EpicStream
Filmmaker Ali Abbasi has responded to the Trump campaign’s threat to sue over his movie The Apprentice, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday night to an eight-minute standing ovation.
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people — they don’t talk about his success rate though, you know?” Abbasi said Monday morning in France, drawing laughs from the crowd at the first press conference for The Apprentice.
The director acknowledged Trump’s likely assumptions around the movie, saying, “If I was him, I would be sitting in New Jersey, Florida or wherever he is now — or New York — and I would be thinking, ‘Oh, this crazy Iranian guy and some, like, liberal c—- in Cannes, they gathered and they did this movie and it’s fucked up.'”
“But I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike,” Abbasi added,...
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people — they don’t talk about his success rate though, you know?” Abbasi said Monday morning in France, drawing laughs from the crowd at the first press conference for The Apprentice.
The director acknowledged Trump’s likely assumptions around the movie, saying, “If I was him, I would be sitting in New Jersey, Florida or wherever he is now — or New York — and I would be thinking, ‘Oh, this crazy Iranian guy and some, like, liberal c—- in Cannes, they gathered and they did this movie and it’s fucked up.'”
“But I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike,” Abbasi added,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Apprentice” director Ali Abbasi has responded to the Trump campaign’s threat to sue over the movie, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival on Monday night.
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people — they don’t talk about his success rate though, you know?” Abbasi said. He even offered to meet with Trump and screen the movie for him, saying, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike.”
Abbasi continued, “I don’t necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised, you know? And like I’ve said before, 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, if that’s interesting to anyone at the Trump campaign.”
Trump’s 2024 campaign put out a lengthy statement Monday night calling the film “garbage” and “pure fiction.
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people — they don’t talk about his success rate though, you know?” Abbasi said. He even offered to meet with Trump and screen the movie for him, saying, “I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike.”
Abbasi continued, “I don’t necessarily think he would like it. I think he would be surprised, you know? And like I’ve said before, 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, if that’s interesting to anyone at the Trump campaign.”
Trump’s 2024 campaign put out a lengthy statement Monday night calling the film “garbage” and “pure fiction.
- 5/21/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The Apprentice filmmaker Ali Abbasi was asked Tuesday at the film’s Cannes Film Festival press conference about Donald Trump’s legal threats against the movie following its world premiere here the night before.
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people, they don’t talk about his success rate [with those lawsuits],” the filmmaker told the press today.
Following the movie’s premiere, where it received an 11-minute standing ovation at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, Trump campaign advisor Steven Cheung back in the U.S. declared, “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”
The movie follows the rise of a young 1980s Donald J. Trump, played by Marvel Studios movie icon Sebastian Stan, as a real estate baron and how he became inspired to wheel and deal from ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
Related: ‘The Apprentice’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Sebastian Stan,...
“Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people, they don’t talk about his success rate [with those lawsuits],” the filmmaker told the press today.
Following the movie’s premiere, where it received an 11-minute standing ovation at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, Trump campaign advisor Steven Cheung back in the U.S. declared, “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”
The movie follows the rise of a young 1980s Donald J. Trump, played by Marvel Studios movie icon Sebastian Stan, as a real estate baron and how he became inspired to wheel and deal from ruthless attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
Related: ‘The Apprentice’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Sebastian Stan,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Following its Cannes Film Festival premiere, The Apprentice – a drama allegedly based on Donald Trump’s antics – might be heading to court.
Usually, er, an absolute stranger to courtrooms and legalities, Donald Trump is currently facing an abundance of charges and legal battles that’d fill up the server space powering this website were we to list them. Still, always room for one more, and Trump’s campaign team is reportedly not very happy about the new movie The Apprentice.
It’s debuted at Cannes, and stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, with Jeremy Strong playing his ‘fixer’, Roy Cohn. Ali Abbasi has directed the movie, which Gabriel Sherman has written. Reviews have been positive, and Studiocanal just picked up the UK release rights to the movie.
In the film, there’s reportedly a nonconsensual sex scene, the taking of numerous pills, insecurity over a bald spot and things that do...
Usually, er, an absolute stranger to courtrooms and legalities, Donald Trump is currently facing an abundance of charges and legal battles that’d fill up the server space powering this website were we to list them. Still, always room for one more, and Trump’s campaign team is reportedly not very happy about the new movie The Apprentice.
It’s debuted at Cannes, and stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, with Jeremy Strong playing his ‘fixer’, Roy Cohn. Ali Abbasi has directed the movie, which Gabriel Sherman has written. Reviews have been positive, and Studiocanal just picked up the UK release rights to the movie.
In the film, there’s reportedly a nonconsensual sex scene, the taking of numerous pills, insecurity over a bald spot and things that do...
- 5/21/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has threatened legal action against the makers of The Apprentice, Ali Abassi’s biographical drama that premiered in the Cannes competition on Sunday (May 19).
In a statement about the film released to the Hollywood trades on Monday, campaign chief spokesperson Steven Cheung said: “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalises lies that have been long debunked.”
“This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation,” the statement added, “should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a...
In a statement about the film released to the Hollywood trades on Monday, campaign chief spokesperson Steven Cheung said: “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalises lies that have been long debunked.”
“This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation,” the statement added, “should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
After the film The Apprentice debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, the Trump Campaign threatened to sue over the controversial depiction of the ex-president during his early days in real estate and his marriage to his first wife, Ivana.
Among scenes of Trump taking amphetamine pills and getting liposuction, Variety reported that the movie included a disturbing scene of the former president throwing Ivana to the floor and having nonconsensual sex with her. The outlet said a female attendee at the premiere referred to it as “rape,” while...
Among scenes of Trump taking amphetamine pills and getting liposuction, Variety reported that the movie included a disturbing scene of the former president throwing Ivana to the floor and having nonconsensual sex with her. The outlet said a female attendee at the premiere referred to it as “rape,” while...
- 5/21/2024
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Campaign spokesperson called Ali Abbasi’s film, which premiered at Cannes on Monday, ‘pure fiction which sensationalises lies that have been long debunked’
The Trump campaign has come out swinging against The Apprentice after the film, which depicts the former president raping his first wife, shocked audiences at Cannes, with a spokesperson saying that they will be “filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers”.
Speaking to Variety on Monday after the world premiere of Ali Abbasi’s film, the Trump campaign’s chief spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed they would take legal action.
The Trump campaign has come out swinging against The Apprentice after the film, which depicts the former president raping his first wife, shocked audiences at Cannes, with a spokesperson saying that they will be “filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers”.
Speaking to Variety on Monday after the world premiere of Ali Abbasi’s film, the Trump campaign’s chief spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed they would take legal action.
- 5/21/2024
- by Sian Cain
- The Guardian - Film News
by Cláudio Alves
I can't wait to plunge into the enigmas of The Shrouds.
Another day, another lackluster reception to a highly anticipated Cannes title. Ali Abbasi's Donald Trump film, The Apprentice, seems neither thrilling nor especially deep, with various comparisons to Wikipedia entries throughout naysayer's reviews. At least, its cast got general praise, with highest honors to Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. Then again, it did receive one of the festival's longest standing ovations yet, so make of that what you will. On a more somber note, David Cronenberg's The Shrouds is being described as the director's most transparent movie, laying bare the grief of an artist dealing with his wife's passing. In a recent interview, the Canadian master described cinema as a cemetery, and it seems his latest work follows that idea to literal ends.
For the Cannes at Home odyssey, let's examine two horrors from...
I can't wait to plunge into the enigmas of The Shrouds.
Another day, another lackluster reception to a highly anticipated Cannes title. Ali Abbasi's Donald Trump film, The Apprentice, seems neither thrilling nor especially deep, with various comparisons to Wikipedia entries throughout naysayer's reviews. At least, its cast got general praise, with highest honors to Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. Then again, it did receive one of the festival's longest standing ovations yet, so make of that what you will. On a more somber note, David Cronenberg's The Shrouds is being described as the director's most transparent movie, laying bare the grief of an artist dealing with his wife's passing. In a recent interview, the Canadian master described cinema as a cemetery, and it seems his latest work follows that idea to literal ends.
For the Cannes at Home odyssey, let's examine two horrors from...
- 5/21/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Already fighting dozens of indictments and an ongoing hush-money trial in New York, Donald Trump wants to head back to court over the movie that took Cannes by storm today.
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” the Trump campaign’s Steven Cheung declared Monday over the The Apprentice film by director Ali Abbasi. Depicting the rise of Trump (Sebastian Stan) out of his father’s shadow thanks to the well-connected and ruthless Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the film just debuted in the South of France to an 11-minute standing ovation.
“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” spokesperson Cheung said of the Competition film. “As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because...
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” the Trump campaign’s Steven Cheung declared Monday over the The Apprentice film by director Ali Abbasi. Depicting the rise of Trump (Sebastian Stan) out of his father’s shadow thanks to the well-connected and ruthless Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the film just debuted in the South of France to an 11-minute standing ovation.
“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” spokesperson Cheung said of the Competition film. “As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because...
- 5/20/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is hitting back following the premiere of the controversial film “The Apprentice,” which chronicles the 2024 presidential candidate’s early years as a real estate developer.
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” the Trump campaign’s chief spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement to Variety. “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because nothing they have done has worked.”
Cheung’s statement continues, “This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-dvd section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store, it belongs in a dumpster fire.
“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” the Trump campaign’s chief spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement to Variety. “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because nothing they have done has worked.”
Cheung’s statement continues, “This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-dvd section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store, it belongs in a dumpster fire.
- 5/20/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
When his wife died, Karsh tells the blind date he has asked to lunch, he had an overwhelming urge to jump into the coffin with her rather than see her sent away alone. Instead, he contrived a way to straddle the worlds of the living and the dead, setting up a luxury cemetery where the dead are wrapped in metallic shrouds that are like camera blankets. Above ground, there are screens over each grave on which you can watch your loved one disintegrating.
Welcome to Gravetech, the latest of Canadian director David Cronenberg’s sinister institutions, and welcome to The Shrouds, Cronenberg’s latest feature to debut in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Over the four years since she died, the painfully bereaved Karsh (Vincent Cassel) has been checking in to see his wife Becca’s body – already crumbling with cancer before she passed – rot down to the bone.
Welcome to Gravetech, the latest of Canadian director David Cronenberg’s sinister institutions, and welcome to The Shrouds, Cronenberg’s latest feature to debut in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Over the four years since she died, the painfully bereaved Karsh (Vincent Cassel) has been checking in to see his wife Becca’s body – already crumbling with cancer before she passed – rot down to the bone.
- 5/20/2024
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
It proved to be the most disturbing scene in a movie chock full of unflattering sequences about Donald Trump.
In Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) violently throws his then-wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova) to the ground and proceeds to have nonconsensual sex with her.
In the controversial scene, Ivana playfully presents a book to her husband about the merits of a female orgasm. But the interaction between the two turns dark quickly, as an uninterested Trump tells his wife that he is no longer attracted to her. They argue, and then Trump throws her to the ground. As he angrily thrusts himself into her, an icy Trump sneers: “Is that your G spot? Did I find it?”
Heading into tonight’s premiere, insiders insisted that the scene, which Variety previously reported on, was consensual but uncomfortable. But reactions within the Palais said otherwise. One woman in her 20s called the scene,...
In Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) violently throws his then-wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova) to the ground and proceeds to have nonconsensual sex with her.
In the controversial scene, Ivana playfully presents a book to her husband about the merits of a female orgasm. But the interaction between the two turns dark quickly, as an uninterested Trump tells his wife that he is no longer attracted to her. They argue, and then Trump throws her to the ground. As he angrily thrusts himself into her, an icy Trump sneers: “Is that your G spot? Did I find it?”
Heading into tonight’s premiere, insiders insisted that the scene, which Variety previously reported on, was consensual but uncomfortable. But reactions within the Palais said otherwise. One woman in her 20s called the scene,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Sebastian Stan’s upcoming film The Apprentice has found itself in a bit of controversy ahead of its release. While the specifics of the plot remain under wraps, reports suggest that the film is set against the backdrop of Trump’s early career, mentored by the notorious political figure Roy Cohn and during his marriage to Ivana Trump.
The Apprentice | Credit: Tailored Films
However, not all parties involved in the movie are pleased with the portrayal of Trump in the film, including a billionaire investor Dan Snyder, who voiced his discontent over certain aspects of its depiction of the ex-president after seeing a cut of the movie.
Sebastian Stan’s The Apprentice Reportedly in Dispute With Investor
Directed by Ali Abbasi and starring Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova, the biographical drama The Apprentice has found itself embroiled in a bitter dispute with one of the investors of the film, Dan Snyder,...
The Apprentice | Credit: Tailored Films
However, not all parties involved in the movie are pleased with the portrayal of Trump in the film, including a billionaire investor Dan Snyder, who voiced his discontent over certain aspects of its depiction of the ex-president after seeing a cut of the movie.
Sebastian Stan’s The Apprentice Reportedly in Dispute With Investor
Directed by Ali Abbasi and starring Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova, the biographical drama The Apprentice has found itself embroiled in a bitter dispute with one of the investors of the film, Dan Snyder,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Five years ago, Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi broke out internationally with the Oscar-nominated “Border,” a thorny little beast of a fable about love, complicity, and guilt. His latest prods at some of the same themes, although the thorny little beast at the center of “The Apprentice” is far from a fictional creature of fables.
Abbasi’s newest chronicles the rise of former American president Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) through his relationship with lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
Continue reading ‘The Apprentice’ Review: Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump? It Works! [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Abbasi’s newest chronicles the rise of former American president Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) through his relationship with lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
Continue reading ‘The Apprentice’ Review: Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump? It Works! [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/20/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- The Playlist
The Devil and Donald Trump: Abbasi Reconstructs the Rise of a Crony Capitalist
Among the many wise observations written by nineteenth century Englishman Lord Acton, he noted “Great men are almost always bad men…” But what if they were just plain bad to begin with? And what exactly constitutes greatness? With his fourth film, The Apprentice, filmmaker Ali Abbasi reconstructs the economic rise of Donald Trump through the 1970s and 1980s thanks to his relationship with infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, two men who fall considerably short of anything resembling greatness, putting a surprisingly thoughtful spin on both men as logical products of environments and systems which fostered ruthlessness and abject greed.…...
Among the many wise observations written by nineteenth century Englishman Lord Acton, he noted “Great men are almost always bad men…” But what if they were just plain bad to begin with? And what exactly constitutes greatness? With his fourth film, The Apprentice, filmmaker Ali Abbasi reconstructs the economic rise of Donald Trump through the 1970s and 1980s thanks to his relationship with infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, two men who fall considerably short of anything resembling greatness, putting a surprisingly thoughtful spin on both men as logical products of environments and systems which fostered ruthlessness and abject greed.…...
- 5/20/2024
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
One of the most anticipated moments of the 77th Cannes Film Festival finally arrived Monday night with the world premiere of the Donald Trump drama The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan as a young version of the real estate mogul in his pre-maga days.
Only Francis Ford Coppola’s wildly ambitious swan song Megalopolis had inspired more pre-premiere chatter and curiosity at this year’s edition of the glamorous French film festival. Ahead of its unveiling, virtually no one had seen The Apprentice, as the movie reportedly was finished only days before its premiere.
Ali Abbasi, Stan, Martin Donovan and Maria Bakalova walked the Cannes red carpet for the premiere. Only Jeremy Strong, who plays notorious political fixer Roy Cohn in the film, was not in attendance.
Directed by acclaimed Iranian-Danish filmmaker Abbasi and written by Gabe Sherman, The Apprentice explores Donald Trump’s rise to power in 1980s America under...
Only Francis Ford Coppola’s wildly ambitious swan song Megalopolis had inspired more pre-premiere chatter and curiosity at this year’s edition of the glamorous French film festival. Ahead of its unveiling, virtually no one had seen The Apprentice, as the movie reportedly was finished only days before its premiere.
Ali Abbasi, Stan, Martin Donovan and Maria Bakalova walked the Cannes red carpet for the premiere. Only Jeremy Strong, who plays notorious political fixer Roy Cohn in the film, was not in attendance.
Directed by acclaimed Iranian-Danish filmmaker Abbasi and written by Gabe Sherman, The Apprentice explores Donald Trump’s rise to power in 1980s America under...
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski and Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Even in Cannes, it’s hard to avoid Donald Trump.
“The Apprentice,” the story of the 45th and possibly 47th president’s early years as a real estate developer, earned a eight-minute standing ovation on Monday. It’s probably safe to assume that the film festival crowd isn’t a Maga-heavy one, so it helps that “The Apprentice” paints a blistering portrait, focusing on Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn, the McCarthy-ite lawyer and fixer who took an interest in the “the Donald” before he was a household name.
Sebastian Stan (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) stars as Trump, Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) plays Cohn and Maria Bakalova (“Borat 2”) portrays Ivana Trump, the thrice-married president’s first spouse. Ali Abbasi, the Iranian-Danish filmmaker behind “Border” and “Holy Spider,” directs the movie from a script by Gabriel Sherman, a journalist who covered the Trump White House, as well as...
“The Apprentice,” the story of the 45th and possibly 47th president’s early years as a real estate developer, earned a eight-minute standing ovation on Monday. It’s probably safe to assume that the film festival crowd isn’t a Maga-heavy one, so it helps that “The Apprentice” paints a blistering portrait, focusing on Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn, the McCarthy-ite lawyer and fixer who took an interest in the “the Donald” before he was a household name.
Sebastian Stan (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) stars as Trump, Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) plays Cohn and Maria Bakalova (“Borat 2”) portrays Ivana Trump, the thrice-married president’s first spouse. Ali Abbasi, the Iranian-Danish filmmaker behind “Border” and “Holy Spider,” directs the movie from a script by Gabriel Sherman, a journalist who covered the Trump White House, as well as...
- 5/20/2024
- by Matt Donnelly and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Trumps were on the red carpet this evening at the Cannes Film Festival — sort of — as Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice world premiered in competition. The film was greeted with an 11-minute post-screening ovation at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.
Sebastian Stan, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominee known for his work in the MCU and the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy, here plays a young Donald Trump with Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat 2) as Trump’s first wife, Ivana. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Strong also stars as infamous attorney Roy Cohn, and Martin Donovan is playing Fred Trump.
Stan and Bakalova attended the red-carpet premiere. Strong was not in attendance as we understand he stayed in New York where he is starring on Broadway in An Enemy of the People.
Abbasi in remarks after the film said he wanted to embrace the politics of now in cinema with so much unrest in the world.
“In the time of turmoil, there’s this tendency to look inwards, to bury your head deep in the sand … and hope for the best, hope for the storm to get away,” he said. “But you know, the storm is not going away, the storm is coming, actually. The worst times are to come.”
The storm is coming, it’s time to make movies political again says director of ‘The Apprentice’ Ali Abbasi #Cannes pic.twitter.com/mEUVdXV8Dp
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) May 20, 2024
There was lots of hugs going around among Abbasi, Stan and Bakalova as the lights went up on the two-hour film. Cate Blanchett, Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Stone were among the crowd applauding afterward. Stone, who has made his share of political films, even offered a spot review.
Oliver Stone and @BazBam catch up after ‘The Apprentice’ premiere to discuss the film: “It’s like ‘Citizen Kane’ in that regard” #Cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/oCjYHmJnED
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) May 20, 2024
An exploration of power and ambition, and set in a world of corruption and deceit, The Apprentice examines Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the 1970s and 80s, also digging into his relationship with Cohn. It’s a mentor-protégé story that charts the origins of a major American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.
The real-life former Potus is currently standing trial in a criminal hush-money case in New York.
Gabriel Sherman, whose bestseller The Loudest Voice in the Room inspired Showtime’s miniseries The Loudest Voice, starring Russell Crowe as Fox News founder Roger Ailes, wrote The Apprentice script.
The Apprentice producers are Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films, Jacob Jarek of Profile Pictures and Ruth Treacy of Taylored Films. Executive producers are Grant S. Johnson, Sherman and Amy Baer, in association with Kinematics as the financier.
International sales are being handled by Rocket Science with CAA and WME on domestic sales in Cannes. Studiocanal recently acquired UK-Ireland rights.
Sebastian Stan, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominee known for his work in the MCU and the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy, here plays a young Donald Trump with Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat 2) as Trump’s first wife, Ivana. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Strong also stars as infamous attorney Roy Cohn, and Martin Donovan is playing Fred Trump.
Stan and Bakalova attended the red-carpet premiere. Strong was not in attendance as we understand he stayed in New York where he is starring on Broadway in An Enemy of the People.
Abbasi in remarks after the film said he wanted to embrace the politics of now in cinema with so much unrest in the world.
“In the time of turmoil, there’s this tendency to look inwards, to bury your head deep in the sand … and hope for the best, hope for the storm to get away,” he said. “But you know, the storm is not going away, the storm is coming, actually. The worst times are to come.”
The storm is coming, it’s time to make movies political again says director of ‘The Apprentice’ Ali Abbasi #Cannes pic.twitter.com/mEUVdXV8Dp
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) May 20, 2024
There was lots of hugs going around among Abbasi, Stan and Bakalova as the lights went up on the two-hour film. Cate Blanchett, Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Stone were among the crowd applauding afterward. Stone, who has made his share of political films, even offered a spot review.
Oliver Stone and @BazBam catch up after ‘The Apprentice’ premiere to discuss the film: “It’s like ‘Citizen Kane’ in that regard” #Cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/oCjYHmJnED
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) May 20, 2024
An exploration of power and ambition, and set in a world of corruption and deceit, The Apprentice examines Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the 1970s and 80s, also digging into his relationship with Cohn. It’s a mentor-protégé story that charts the origins of a major American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.
The real-life former Potus is currently standing trial in a criminal hush-money case in New York.
Gabriel Sherman, whose bestseller The Loudest Voice in the Room inspired Showtime’s miniseries The Loudest Voice, starring Russell Crowe as Fox News founder Roger Ailes, wrote The Apprentice script.
The Apprentice producers are Daniel Bekerman of Scythia Films, Jacob Jarek of Profile Pictures and Ruth Treacy of Taylored Films. Executive producers are Grant S. Johnson, Sherman and Amy Baer, in association with Kinematics as the financier.
International sales are being handled by Rocket Science with CAA and WME on domestic sales in Cannes. Studiocanal recently acquired UK-Ireland rights.
- 5/20/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Of all the various actors who've made their mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sebastian Stan might be the one who's chosen the most interesting career path upon stepping outside of the superhero limelight. Stan hasn't exactly shied away from some of the more challenging and, occasionally, downright controversial roles out there, arguably beginning this little streak of sorts with director Craig Gillespie's "I, Tonya" in 2017. He followed this up with a supporting turn in Karyn Kusama's brutal "Destroyer," the bizarre horror/comedy "Fresh" (let's just say that movie packs a bite), and, of course, his Emmy-nominated performance as Tommy Lee in "Pam & Tommy," the Pamela Anderson-centric Hulu miniseries that stirred up no headlines whatsoever.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Stan promptly went and attached himself to a role that likely gave his agent no shortage of heart palpitations: a movie about Donald Trump's rise to infamy.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Stan promptly went and attached himself to a role that likely gave his agent no shortage of heart palpitations: a movie about Donald Trump's rise to infamy.
- 5/20/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Ali Abbasi’s film, starring Sebastian Stan, presents a fictionalised account of an incident recorded in Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, and since retracted
The Apprentice review – cartoon version of chump-in-chief Donald Trump’s early years
Donald Trump is depicted as a rapist who assaulted his first wife, Ivana, in a new biopic, The Apprentice, which has its world premiere in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival on Monday. Directed by the Iranian-Danish film-maker Ali Abbasi, the drama provides a fictionalised account of a 1989 incident that was previously detailed in the couple’s divorce proceedings.
The scene, which occurs near the end of The Apprentice, depicts Trump reacting with fury after Ivana disparages his physical appearance. “You have a face like a fucking orange,” she tells him. “You’re getting fat, you’re getting ugly, and you’re getting bald.” The future president is then shown forcing his...
The Apprentice review – cartoon version of chump-in-chief Donald Trump’s early years
Donald Trump is depicted as a rapist who assaulted his first wife, Ivana, in a new biopic, The Apprentice, which has its world premiere in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival on Monday. Directed by the Iranian-Danish film-maker Ali Abbasi, the drama provides a fictionalised account of a 1989 incident that was previously detailed in the couple’s divorce proceedings.
The scene, which occurs near the end of The Apprentice, depicts Trump reacting with fury after Ivana disparages his physical appearance. “You have a face like a fucking orange,” she tells him. “You’re getting fat, you’re getting ugly, and you’re getting bald.” The future president is then shown forcing his...
- 5/20/2024
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
A lot of people would disagree with me, but I think there’s a mystery at the heart of Donald Trump. Many believe there’s no mystery, just a highly visible and documented legacy of bad behavior, selfishness, used-car-salesman effrontery, criminal transgressions, and abuse of power. They would say that Trump lies, slurs, showboats, bullies, toots racist dog whistles so loudly they’re not whistles anymore, and is increasingly open about the authoritarian president he plans to be.
All totally true, but also too easy. What it all leaves out, about the precise kind of man Donald Trump is, is this:
When Trump made “Stop the steal” the new cornerstone of his ideology, arguing, from the 2020 Election Night onward, that Joe Biden had stolen the election, was it simply the mother of all Trump lies? Or was it a lie that Trump told so often, in such an ego-shoring-up way,...
All totally true, but also too easy. What it all leaves out, about the precise kind of man Donald Trump is, is this:
When Trump made “Stop the steal” the new cornerstone of his ideology, arguing, from the 2020 Election Night onward, that Joe Biden had stolen the election, was it simply the mother of all Trump lies? Or was it a lie that Trump told so often, in such an ego-shoring-up way,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Don’t be confused about the title The Apprentice. This is not a movie version of the NBC reality TV series in any way, but instead a smart, sharp and surprising origin story of the man who hosted it. In this case the actual “apprentice” is Donald Trump, infamous real estate developer, former President of the United States and current presumed GOP nominee for 2024.
But the political Trump is not in Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi’s compelling film, which instead zeroes in on a specific period of Trump’s life in the early ’70s when he was in his 20s and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of real estate in New York City. But it isn’t just about him — it is equally focused on his unique relationship with his lawyer, the notorious Roy Cohn, often referred to as vicious, cruel, ruthless and sadistic, a...
But the political Trump is not in Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi’s compelling film, which instead zeroes in on a specific period of Trump’s life in the early ’70s when he was in his 20s and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of real estate in New York City. But it isn’t just about him — it is equally focused on his unique relationship with his lawyer, the notorious Roy Cohn, often referred to as vicious, cruel, ruthless and sadistic, a...
- 5/20/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
An otherwise rote and unsurprising Frankenstein story about a madman who loses control of the monster he’s created, Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice” does exactly one thing that no other movie ever has before or will again: It makes you feel the smallest possible mote of sympathy for Roy Cohn. That isn’t a compliment, necessarily, but it is some kind of testament to the talent of the actor who plays him, and also a very different kind of testament to the unparalleled soullessness of the future world leader who Cohn helped to invent.
When this scuzzy little drama first begins in the late 1970s, it’s Sebastian Stan’s Donald J. Trump — then an insecure Manhattan nepo baby who fumbles around the city in search of his slumlord father’s non-existent affection — whose receding humanity is still visible enough to inspire the same tender pity once evoked by Michael Corleone,...
When this scuzzy little drama first begins in the late 1970s, it’s Sebastian Stan’s Donald J. Trump — then an insecure Manhattan nepo baby who fumbles around the city in search of his slumlord father’s non-existent affection — whose receding humanity is still visible enough to inspire the same tender pity once evoked by Michael Corleone,...
- 5/20/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
To clear any confusion up front, The Apprentice has nothing to do with the NBC reality competition of that name, in which Donald Trump sifted through a field of aspiring businesspeople to identify the most promising of them, sending an eliminated contestant home each week with the brutal dismissal, “You’re fired!” On the other hand, you could say that Ali Abbasi’s biographical drama has everything to do with the television series.
It’s a reverse reflection of the mentorship process, in which the host becomes the hungry young upstart, laying the foundations for a business empire built in part out of smoke and mirrors, and operating under the guidance of a master manipulator.
Written by political journalist and Roger Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman, the movie is first and foremost the story of a Faustian pact, in which the eager apprentice is schooled to ditch conventional notions of morality,...
It’s a reverse reflection of the mentorship process, in which the host becomes the hungry young upstart, laying the foundations for a business empire built in part out of smoke and mirrors, and operating under the guidance of a master manipulator.
Written by political journalist and Roger Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman, the movie is first and foremost the story of a Faustian pact, in which the eager apprentice is schooled to ditch conventional notions of morality,...
- 5/20/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cannes Film Festival hosted the world premiere of The Apprentice, the latest film from director Ali Abbasi led by Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan.
Abbasi was joined by the film’s cast including guests Molly Manning Walker, Nadine Labaki, and Cate Blanchett who all walked the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, on Monday, May 20.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties, Premieres, Pressers & More
The film charts a young Donald Trump’s (Stan) ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (Strong). Hinging on Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s and charts the origins of a major American dynasty and reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers. Maria Bakalova portrays Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump.
Related:...
Abbasi was joined by the film’s cast including guests Molly Manning Walker, Nadine Labaki, and Cate Blanchett who all walked the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, on Monday, May 20.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties, Premieres, Pressers & More
The film charts a young Donald Trump’s (Stan) ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (Strong). Hinging on Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s and charts the origins of a major American dynasty and reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers. Maria Bakalova portrays Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump.
Related:...
- 5/20/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
On Monday night, all eyes in Cannes will be on the launch of “The Apprentice,” the high-profile drama that stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. The filmmakers and stars haven’t done any press on the ground at Cannes ahead of the film’s world premiere, and few have seen it, with plot details shrouded in mystery.
But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in “The Apprentice.” And he isn’t happy.
Behind the scenes, a nasty battle has played out between the Snyder-backed company Kinematics and the filmmakers over the creative direction of the film. “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, covers Trump’s early years when he was mentored by political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and his marriage to his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova).
Sources say Snyder, a...
But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in “The Apprentice.” And he isn’t happy.
Behind the scenes, a nasty battle has played out between the Snyder-backed company Kinematics and the filmmakers over the creative direction of the film. “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, covers Trump’s early years when he was mentored by political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and his marriage to his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova).
Sources say Snyder, a...
- 5/20/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Ali Abbasi’s 1970s-set The Apprentice starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as his fixer Roy Cohn heads into tonight’s world premiere without US distribution in place despite selling across the world.
While Rocket Science has quietly sold international territories, US reps CAA Media Finance and WME Independent may be holding out for a deal after the first screening. “You need to see these films to gauge playability,” said one US buyer.
Yet the film may also be too hot to handle, exacerbating what is already a well-known lack of appetite for big bets due to...
While Rocket Science has quietly sold international territories, US reps CAA Media Finance and WME Independent may be holding out for a deal after the first screening. “You need to see these films to gauge playability,” said one US buyer.
Yet the film may also be too hot to handle, exacerbating what is already a well-known lack of appetite for big bets due to...
- 5/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
The stars of Cannes sensation “Emilia Perez” got personal about the politics of their genre-bending musical on Sunday.
Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez fielded questions at a press conference for the Jacques Audiard project about the film’s setting in Mexico — a country torn by cartel violence as it heads for a summer election. A Mexican journalist asked the actors if they could reconcile the beauty of the film with the real world corruption occurring in the nation.
“I’ve been living in LA for 20 years. Mexican culture, that’s something that’s dear to my heart. I have lots of family there. There is injustice and corruption, which is true of all places in the world. But I’m grateful to Jacques because he used a lot of creative library and freedom [in this story],” said Saldaña.
Gomez said she related “so much to what Zoe said. I still have family there and,...
Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez fielded questions at a press conference for the Jacques Audiard project about the film’s setting in Mexico — a country torn by cartel violence as it heads for a summer election. A Mexican journalist asked the actors if they could reconcile the beauty of the film with the real world corruption occurring in the nation.
“I’ve been living in LA for 20 years. Mexican culture, that’s something that’s dear to my heart. I have lots of family there. There is injustice and corruption, which is true of all places in the world. But I’m grateful to Jacques because he used a lot of creative library and freedom [in this story],” said Saldaña.
Gomez said she related “so much to what Zoe said. I still have family there and,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Matt Donnelly and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
British royal family news reveals that Meghan Markle’s corrupt Nigerian Riviera Tour is being seen as a sign that she has her sights set on the White House. Because what screams political ambition better than cavorting with an overseas felon wanted for money laundering in the US?
Many see Meghan’s “presidential-like visit to her adopted ‘homeland’ of Nigeria” as the clearest evidence yet that she has more on her mind than scam-jam. Here’s what to know about Meghan’s Oval Office aspirations.
Royal Family News – Meghan Markle As Potus?
Few know Meghan better than her Suits co-stars and Erika Alexander just declared that the Duchess of Excess is “heading to the White House.”
Likewise, experts told MailOnline that Meghan could taking inspiration from former Potus Donald Trump.
US political analyst Christopher Phelps told MailOnline: “It would be a great story. The British prince who loved her so...
Many see Meghan’s “presidential-like visit to her adopted ‘homeland’ of Nigeria” as the clearest evidence yet that she has more on her mind than scam-jam. Here’s what to know about Meghan’s Oval Office aspirations.
Royal Family News – Meghan Markle As Potus?
Few know Meghan better than her Suits co-stars and Erika Alexander just declared that the Duchess of Excess is “heading to the White House.”
Likewise, experts told MailOnline that Meghan could taking inspiration from former Potus Donald Trump.
US political analyst Christopher Phelps told MailOnline: “It would be a great story. The British prince who loved her so...
- 5/18/2024
- by Tanya Clark
- Celebrating The Soaps
“Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish-language musical drama starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón, has earned the biggest standing ovation of this year’s Cannes Film Festival so far.
Gomez wiped away tears as the Palais clapped for a full nine minutes, accompanied by plenty of hooting, whistling and cheering. During the standing ovation, director Jacques Audiard waved his hat at the balcony as stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez shared an emotional hug. There was huge applause for Gascón, who stars in the film as a drug cartel leader who seeks gender-affirming surgery.
In the film, from Palme d’Or winner Audiard, Saldaña stars as Rita, an “overqualified and undervalued” lawyer, whose firm is more inclined to help criminals than seek justice. She finds an unexpected way out when a feared drug cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) recruits her to aid him in surreptitiously completing a sex change operation to...
Gomez wiped away tears as the Palais clapped for a full nine minutes, accompanied by plenty of hooting, whistling and cheering. During the standing ovation, director Jacques Audiard waved his hat at the balcony as stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez shared an emotional hug. There was huge applause for Gascón, who stars in the film as a drug cartel leader who seeks gender-affirming surgery.
In the film, from Palme d’Or winner Audiard, Saldaña stars as Rita, an “overqualified and undervalued” lawyer, whose firm is more inclined to help criminals than seek justice. She finds an unexpected way out when a feared drug cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) recruits her to aid him in surreptitiously completing a sex change operation to...
- 5/18/2024
- by Ramin Setoodeh and Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
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