Summary
Sebastian Stan’s new movieThe Apprenticefaces opposition to being released in the United States. Afterpremiering on June 10, 2025, at the Cannes Film Festival, The Apprenticereceived mostly positive reviews from critics and earned a score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.The Apprenticesees Stan, best known for his role asBucky Barnes / Winter Soldierin the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the real-life Donald Trump. The former United States President was recently convicted on 34 counts of falsification of business records in the first degree, which is a felony in the state of New York.
Jeremy Strong ofSuccessionacclaim also stars inThe ApprenticeasRoy Cohn, a notable figure of the Lavender Scarewho worked under Senator Joseph McCarthy before becoming a mentor to a younger Trump.The Apprenticewas directed by Iranian director Ali Abbasiwho directed two episodes of HBO’scritically acclaimed seriesThe Last of Usand wrote and directed Netflix’s true crime movieHoly Spider(2022).The Apprenticeis based on a specific era in the life of Donald Trump and has no relation to the popular reality series of the same name Trump once hosted. The screenplay is an original work written by Gabriel Sherman (The Loudest Voice).
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Sebastian Stan’s Trump Movie Has International Distribution, But Not In The US
StudioCanal acquired the rights to distribute the film in the UK and Ireland
The Apprenticereceived an international distribution deal with StudioCanal before it even premiered at Cannes. StudioCanal acquired the rights to distribute the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland but notably not in the United States. Considering how relevant the release ofThe Apprenticeis to current events and the upcoming 2024 United States presidential election, it’s interesting that the film is not currently available to watch anywhere else in the world, particularly in the U.S.The Apprenticedepicts the life of Trump during hisrise as a real estate mogul in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s.
The Apprenticewas one of the highlights of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, receiving an eight-minute standing ovation following its worldwide premiere. This type of response to a motion picture at Cannes usually strikes a bidding war for distribution rights, but interestingly, this does not seem to be the case forThe Apprentice.The film was made without the direct involvement or approval of Trump, whose only comments on the movie have been in the form of legal action from his attorneys. According toDeadline,The Apprenticewill also be screening in Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, Japan, Australia, and more.
Studios Are Reportedly Worried About Trump’s Reaction (Especially If He’s Re-Elected)
The Apprentice reportedly portrays Trump in a certain light he is likely to find unflattering
One of the most glaring reasons whyThe Apprenticehas yet to find a United States distributor is reportedly the fear of potential consequences from Trump. According toVariety, “The team behind “The Apprentice” believes that their difficulty securing a distribution deal is analogous to censorship. They argue that these companies are operating out of fear, because releasing the movie could land them on Trump’s bad side, a potentially dangerous place to be given that he is currently leading President Biden in the polls.” Based on the analysis in some reviews,The Apprenticeportrays Trump in a way that he likely finds either inaccurate or unflattering.
American-based distributors seem to be concerned about Trump’s anticipated responseto the film being picked up in the U.S., especially if he returns to the White House in 2024. David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporterpointed out one of the areas ofThe Apprenticethat Trump is likely to take issue with. “A lot can be observed about Trump’s attitude toward women from his devolving relationship with Ivana, and one shocking scene that will likely raise hackles with the former president’s supporters feeds into the multiple accusations of sexual abuse against him.” This could be one of the myriad reasons why U.S. distributors are hesitant to get involved.
The Apprentice Has Allegedly Upset One Of Its Own Financiers Over Trump’s Portrayal
One graphic scene in particular has sparked the most outrage
One of the financiers ofThe Apprenticewas reportedly outraged when he discovered the angle of the film, expecting it to instead be much more flattering to its protagonist.Dan Snyder, a billionaire businessman and former owner of the Washington Commanders NFL team, financially supported the production company Kinematics because he believedThe Apprenticewould portray Trump in a positive light. Snyder first saw a cut ofThe Apprenticein February 2024 and was reportedly outraged by the results (viaVariety). Although the Kinematics production is partially funded by Snyder, he was not involved in the creative process ofThe Apprenticewhatsoever.
Snyder has donated more than $1 million to support Trump’s presidential campaigns, which explains his aversion toThe Apprentice. The reported additional pressure from Snyder would only add to whyThe Apprenticeis a risky acquisition for any distributor. One graphic scene in particular involving Trump and his first wife Ivana allegedly angered Snyder the most and is the reason why the film and its creative team could face legal action from Trump himself. Considering all this, all U.S. distributors and even the major studios are seemingly avoiding what could turn into a contentious legal battle.
The Apprentice Could Potentially Face Lawsuits From Donald Trump Himself
The film will be screened internationally but likely not the U.S anytime soon
With Snyder being a close friend of Trump, it’s no surprise that he came to his defense after seeing the reality of whatThe Apprenticewas actually about. Steven Cheung, the communications director of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, has recently threatened legal action against the film and its creators because of the aforementioned graphic scene. Regardless,The Apprenticeis expected to hit theaters around the world with the controversial scene included.Snyder and Kinematics cannot prevent the film from being distributedbecause they don’t own the rights to the screenplay.
The Apprentice’s Director Has Blamed The Movie’s Release Woes On “Power People”
Abbasi took to the internet to allege the intentional censorship of his film
Director Ali Abbasi took to X (Twitter) to voice his opinion on the apparent censorship of his film in the United States. In response to a tweet from The Nation commenting on this past Memorial Day’s abysmal box office performance, Abbassi wrote, “We have a new proposition for you. It’s not a f–king sequel nor is it a f–king remake. It’s called #TheApprentice and for some reason certain power people in your country don’t want you to see it!!!”. Abbasi is essentially implying that powerful Trump supporters are doing what they can to prevent the release of the film in the U.S. so that it won’t hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. At this time, it’s uncertain whetherThe Apprenticewill ever be screened in the United States.
The Apprentice
Cast
The Apprentice depicts a young Donald Trump in 1970s New York, highlighting his formative relationship with Roy Cohn, a ruthless attorney. As Trump seeks to establish his own legacy, Cohn identifies him as an ideal protégé, drawn to his ambition and determination to succeed at any cost.
