Sebastian Stan is interviewed as a young Donald Trump in the first footage from "The Apprentice," a biopic from director Ali Abbasi opening in theaters October 11.
Sebastian Stan to star as Donald Trump in 'The Apprentice'
In the one-minute clip, Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong) coaches Trump as he conducts an interview with a reporter over the phone. "I plan to buy the Commodore and I plan to make it the best, most beautiful building in the city, maybe the country — in the world … it's going to be the most beautiful building in the world," Stan says in a subdued voice that's far from a cartoonish Trump imitation. Strong, for his part, goes for Cohn's nasal New York flair.
"The Apprentice," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, landed at Briarcliff Entertainment after its controversial nature made it difficult to find a buyer. Major Hollywood studios apparently balked at the film, which, as Variety reported, shocked Cannes with a scene in which Trump rapes his then-wife Ivana, played by Maria Bakalova.
Trump's campaign threatened legal action over the film, saying in a statement: "This garbage is pure fiction that sensationalizes lies that have long been debunked."
