A dive into the underbelly of the American empire, THE APPRENTICE charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
From award-winning Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi (Academy Award ® nominated, European Film Award winner Border, Cannes Best Actress Winner Holy Spider) comes a searing exploration of the underbelly of the American empire and a gripping examination of the mentor-protégé relationship that would ultimately change the world.
1970s New York. Determined to emerge from his powerful father’s shadow and make a name for himself in Manhattan real estate, aspiring mogul Donald J. Trump is in the earliest days of his career when he encounters the man who will become one of the most important figures in his life, political fixer Roy Cohn. Seeing promise in young Donald, the influential attorney—who secured espionage convictions against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and investigated suspected Communists alongside Senator Joseph McCarthy—teaches his new acolyte how to amass wealth and power through deception, intimidation and media manipulation. The rest is history.
World premiering in Competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, THE APPRENTICE stars Emmy Award® nominee Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy) as Donald Trump, Emmy Award® winner Jeremy Strong (Succession) as Roy Cohn and Academy Award® nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) as Trump’s first wife, Ivana. The script is written by Gabriel Sherman, author of the New York Times best-selling biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, The Loudest Voice in the Room.
Photo credits:
© APPRENTICE PRODUCTIONS ONTARIO INC._PROFILE PRODUCTIONS 2 APS_TAILORED FILMS LTD. 2023