Topline
“The Apprentice,” a dramatization of the early years of former President Donald Trump’s business career, grossed just over $1.5 million, multiple outlets reported, a rough opening weekend for the controversial film that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year but struggled to find a distributor and drew legal threats from Trump’s team.
(L-R) Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Stan, Martin Donovan and Daniel Bekerman attend the “The Apprentice” Red … [+] Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2024 in Cannes, France.
Key Facts
“The Apprentice”—starring Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, Trump’s then-mentor—grossed about $1.6 million from Friday to Sunday, putting it at around 10th place at the box office, though its 1,740-theater debut was far smaller than most major films, which often open in well over 3,500 theaters.
The movie also features Maria Bakalova as Trump’s first wife, Ivana, was directed by Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi and the screenplay was written by Gabriel Sherman, who also wrote a biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes.
“The Apprentice” was distributed by Briarcliff Entertainment after most Hollywood studios declined to pick it up despite its festival success, and was expected to gross between $1 and $3 million in its debut weekend.
“Terrifier 3” was at the top of the box office after grossing $18.2 million from 1,988 theaters in its debut weekend, and “The Wild Robot” held the second spot with $13.45 million, followed by “Joker: Folie á Deux” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Variety reported.
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Why Is ‘the Apprentice’ Controversial?
The full-length biopic covers Trump’s rise as a real estate mogul and businessman and said it would “dive into the underbelly of the American empire.” The film was first announced in 2018, though it didn’t premiere until earlier this year at Cannes. When it did, it received an eight-minute standing ovation and made headlines for depicting things like Trump getting liposuction surgery and sexually assaulting his ex-wife Ivana. Ivana Trump had claimed in a divorce deposition from 1989 that Trump once raped her—though she later walked it back and said she had felt “violated” but did “not want (her) words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.” Trump’s team has long said he never raped Ivana. Shortly after its May festival premiere, Trump’s team threatened legal action and issued a statement saying “this garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.” The New York Times reported after the premiere the movie struggled to get picked up by a U.S. distributor because studios—including Sony and Netflix—worried the film would upset people on both sides of the political aisle.
Big Number
77%. That’s the average critic rating score for “The Apprentice” on Rotten Tomatoes as of Sunday afternoon. Audiences were slightly kinder to the film, giving it an average of 85% on th review site.
What To Watch For
How the film does in award season. The film is expected to make an awards push, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s expected the film’s distributor will mount a campaign for at least both Stan and Strong, who play Trump and Cohn, respectively.
Further Reading
ForbesFirst Trailer For ‘The Apprentice’ Shows Trump’s Origin StoryBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
Forbes‘The Apprentice’ Clip Shows First Glimpse Of Sebastian Stan As Donald TrumpBy Conor MurrayForbesDonald Trump Biopic Premiering Next Month At Cannes—Here’s Everything We Know About ‘The Apprentice’By Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbes‘The Apprentice’ Filmmakers Deny Trump Claims Of ‘Malicious Defamation’By Conor Murray
