When Is The Apprentice Out In UK Cinemas?

First announced back in May 2018, a lot has changed since The Apprentice was originally written: Donald Trump led the United States through a pandemic, was voted out of office and incited insurrection. Flash forward to 2024, and he’s the Republican nominee for US President once more. Meanwhile, a film about his early days is landing in the cinemas – timely indeed. Here’s what to expect.

What Is The Apprentice Movie About?

The Apprentice (2024) is a biographical drama tracing Donald Trump’s early years as a real estate businessman in 1970s and ‘80s New York. Beginning in 1973, we specifically get an insight into the future US President’s relationship with Roy Cohn, a contentious lawyer known for prosecuting the Rosenbergs, who is eventually brought into the fold to help defend Trump’s real-estate mogul father Fred in federal investigations for discrimination against African American tenants.

For Cohn, this is easy work – and Trump is awed by the lawyer’s charisma, seeing him as a better mentor than his father. As Trump falls further under Cohn’s spell and into his orbit, he becomes his protege. His raw ambition, hunger for success and willingness to do whatever it takes are appealing to Cohn, who teaches the young Trump his three rules for life: always attack, never admit wrongdoing, and always claim victory even if defeated. That sounds familiar…

The Trailer

The Cast

The Apprentice is led by Sebastian Stan in some convincing Trump makeup, alongside Succession’s Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. The full cast includes:

• Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump
• Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn
• Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump
• Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr.
• Catherine McNally as Mary Anne Trump
• Charlie Carrick as Fred Trump Jr.
• Ben Sullivan as Russell Eldridge
• Mark Rendall as Roger Stone
• Joe Pingue as Anthony Salerno
• Bruce Beaton as Andy Warhol
• Ian D. Clark as Ed Koch
• Tom Barnett as Rupert Murdoch
• Stuart Hughes as Mike Wallace

What’s The Controversy?

Naturally, Trump isn’t very happy about The Apprentice and the light it casts on his life. Upon watching it, he called it a ‘cheap, defamatory and politically disgusting hatchet job.’ And he’s not the only one upset. One of Trump’s staunch supporters, billionaire Dan Snyder, donated money to the film in its early days, expecting it would offer a positive portrayal of his friend, Donald Trump. After seeing a cut of the film in February 2024, however, he was reportedly ‘furious’ and sought to block the film’s release. The communications director for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Steven Cheung, has likewise threatened legal action over the film. In fact, across the Atlantic, it has been tricky to secure a distributor for The Apprentice (Briarcliff Entertainment eventually signed on) and comparatively little money has been put behind marketing it.

The content has also been criticised by the former President and those close to him: in one graphic scene, he is shown to rape his first wife Ivana after plastic surgery to alter his hairline failed – something both parties deny, but which was based on divorce records. Ivana has since come out in support of Trump, sharing: ‘Donald and I are the best of friends, and together we have raised three children that we love and are very proud of. I have nothing but fondness for Donald, and I wish him the best of luck on his campaign. […] I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit. Donald and I are the best of friends and he would never rape me.’

What do the cast have to say in reply? ‘All the more reason to see it,’ says Jeremy Strong.

The Apprentice UK Release Date

The Apprentice will hit UK cinemas on Friday 18 October 2024.