The first-look image for Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice showed Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump alongside Jeremy Strong as lawyer Roy Cohn. Released on April 11, 2024, with the announcement that the film would screen in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the image introduced a drama centered on Trump’s rise and his relationship with Cohn—not a documentary account of Trump’s life.
What the first-look image showed
Stan appears as Trump, while Strong plays Cohn. The image accompanied Scythia Films’ announcement that The Apprentice had been selected for the 2024 Cannes competition. The announcement also identified Maria Bakalova as part of the central cast.
What The Apprentice is about
The Cannes and production-company logline frames the story as a young Trump’s ascent to power through a “Faustian deal” with Cohn, whom it describes as an influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer. Vanity Fair characterized the film as a fictionalized account of Trump’s rise in New York City real estate during the 1970s and 1980s.
Director Ali Abbasi emphasized the film’s narrower focus. In remarks reproduced from the film’s press notes by the Associated Press, he said: “This is not a biopic of Donald Trump. We’re not interested in every detail of his life going from A to Z. We’re interested in telling a very specific story through his relationship with Roy and Roy’s relationship with him.” The film’s dramatic framing should therefore be understood as a chosen story about that relationship, not as a documentary record.
#1 Best Overall
![The Apprentice [Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41j0DT-YsgL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Apprentice [Blu-Ray]
Cast and film details
- Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump
- Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn
- Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump
- Director: Ali Abbasi
- Screenwriter: Gabriel Sherman
The Cannes official record lists the film as a 2024 feature in competition, produced by Canada, Denmark and Ireland, with a running time of 120 minutes. Métropole Films lists its theatrical release date as October 11, 2024; that is the film’s historical release date, not confirmation of current screening availability.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
- Factory sealed DVD
Rank #2
![Apprentice To Murder [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51isUd5jt8L._SL160_.jpg)
- Apprentice To Murder
Sources
- Scythia Films’ announcement and official logline
- Festival de Cannes’ film record
- Vanity Fair’s first-look coverage
- Métropole Films’ listing
- Associated Press coverage quoting Abbasi from the press notes
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