Despite threats of legal action from former President Donald Trump, the controversial biopic The Apprentice has reportedly landed a U.S. distributor and is set to hit cinemas less than a month before the presidential election.
The Apprentice will be released October 11 by Briarcliff Entertainment, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. Briarcliff will also promote the movie for awards consideration, including actor Sebastian Stan, who plays a young Donald Trump.
It remains unclear how wide The Apprentice will open, though given its indie nature, a limited release is likely.
Briarcliff Entertainment appears to be trying to inflict as much media damage on former President Donald Trump as possible heading into November’s election. While the movie itself likely won’t be seen by many people, the news media coverage leading up to the release will no doubt be extensive.
The Apprentice has generated controversy since its splashy world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it failed to win any prizes or score a domestic distribution deal. The fictionalized movie follows Trump during his rise to power during the 70s and early 80s, focusing on his relationship with Roy Cohn (Succession star Jeremy Strong).
One scene shows Donald Trump raping his wife Ivanka Trump — a claim Ivanka Trump publicly denied. Other scenes show Donald Trump undergoing plastic surgery.