Donald Trump’s lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to the filmmakers behind „The Apprentice” in an attempt to block US sales and release. According to two people who have read the letter, it warns the team behind the film not to pursue the distribution deal. „The Apprentice,” which looks at Trump’s early years as a real estate developer and his relationship with Roy Cohn, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this week.
„The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president,” the film’s producers said in a statement regarding the cease-and-desist letter. „We want everyone to see it and decide.”
The independently produced film stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Con. It paints a grim portrait of the former president, who compromised an ethic, stiffed contractors and cut deals with gangs to complete his buildings. Other controversial details include a scene of Trump raping his first wife, Ivana, and a scene depicting him abusing amphetamines to lose weight and undergoing liposuction and plastic surgery.
Trump’s camp responded with a blistering note, threatening legal action. “This 'film’ is a completely malicious slander that should never see the light of day, and does not deserve to be in the straight DVD section of the bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. , it’s a dumpster fire,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
When it came to commenting on the letter, the Trump campaign referenced its previous statement on the film.
Directed by Ali Abbasi, the Iranian-Danish filmmaker behind „Holy Spider” and „Border,” „The Apprentice” has a script by Gabriel Sherman, a journalist covering the Trump administration.
At a press conference in Cannes for „The Apprentice,” Abbasi responded to Trump’s legal threats. „Everybody talks about the fact that he’s sued a lot of people — they don’t talk about his success rate, you know?” he said. He also offered to screen the film for Trump, saying, „I don’t think it’s a film he’s going to dislike.”
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