The Apprentice: first look at Sebastian Stan as Donald J Trump, what is the film about, cast list so far

The first pictures of Sebastian Stan portraying a younger Donald J Trump have started doing the rounds as principal photography is underway for “The Apprentice,” a new film regarding the life of the former President of the United States during his rise as a real estate tycoon in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Apprentice is described as a mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception,” and is set to be directed by Ali Abbasi, best known for the film “Holy Spider” which earned him the Danish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, which has made the December shortlist. Abbasi also was responsible for directing two episodes in HBO’s critically acclaimed 2023 series, “The Last of Us” starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay. 

Abbasi will direct from a script penned by Gabriel Sherman, whose biography of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, “The Loudest Voice in the Room,” was the basis for Showtime’s 2019 miniseries “The Loudest Voice” that starred Russell Crowe and Sienna Miller. 

Who else has been cast in “The Apprentice”?

Only three castings have been confirmed so far, but they are impressive ones at that: Jeremy Strong, critically acclaimed for his role in the HBO series “Succession,” has been cast as another Roy - this time Roy Cohn, an American lawyer and prosecutor who represented Trump in the ‘70s after the Justice Department accused the tycoon of violating the Fair Housing Act in 39 of his properties.

Ivana Trump will also feature in the new film, played by one of our favourites at NationalWorld, Maria Bakalova. Many will recall Bakalova’s star-turn performance in “Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm,” and as the voice of Cosmos, one of the newest team members of the Guardians of the Galaxy after the conclusion of “Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol. 3.” 

When is “The Apprentice” being released?

Production is in very early stages at the moment, however, there is speculation that the film, set to be a Hulu Original at the moment, may end up on streaming services by Summer 2024 - just after the inauguration of the new President of the United States and their first few months in charge.