The film about Trump was a failure.

TPO - Despite making a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, "The Apprentice," a biographical film about Donald Trump, faced difficulties in reaching the public. Upon its release, the film encountered dismal box office revenue.

The Apprentice officially premiered in the US on October 11th. Contrary to the hype surrounding the film before its public release, it had a lackluster opening weekend. Box office figures for the three-day weekend (October 11-13) show The Apprentice ranking only 11th, with $1.58 million from 1,740 locations. Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, a journalist specializing in Donald Trump's career, The Apprentice recounts Trump's (Sebastian Stan) early years in business as a real estate developer and his relationship with the controversial lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who died of AIDS in 1986. The Apprentice portrays the American billionaire as a fraud, disregarding all ethical boundaries in business. He didn't hesitate to pressure contractors and cut ties with crowds to complete his buildings.

The Apprentice was a box office failure despite receiving high praise from critics.

The biographical film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. However, it is not a bad film, earning a B- from CinemaScore and 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. Upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 on May 20th, it was critically acclaimed and received an 11-minute standing ovation.

Variety writer Owen Gleiberman also praised the performances of the two male leads. “Sebastian Stan’s performance as Trump is absolutely brilliant, at times mystical. He captures the steely body language, along with the uninhibited aura of Trump when he’s gentle, polite, and so handsome that he’s been compared to Robert Redford. And if you’re one of those captivated by Roy Cohn, with his demonic mystique, Jeremy Strong’s performance – his killer eyes, his machine-gun mouth, the way he breathes power – is the most compelling thing in the film,” Gleiberman wrote. So, what caused a watchable film, exploring the subject of a famous figure in politics, business, and entertainment, to become a flop? Gleiberman stated that The Apprentice is a film he liked, but didn’t love. Although the film is both entertaining and insightful, it fails to explore more of Trump's positive aspects than the former US president demonstrated in real life. The Trump portrayed in the film is young, just starting out in the business world , and learning the tricks of the trade from the cunning Roy Cohn. Considering the film's target audience—anti-Trump Democrats—they don't need a film to confirm what they already know. As for those who support the Trump Tower owner, they will certainly boycott the film.

In real life, Mr. Trump is considered more attractive than his character in the film. Photo: Getty Images.

Moreover, from the very beginning, The Apprentice was prevented from being widely released to the public by Mr. Trump.

In May, Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign communications director, criticized the film as "garbage" containing blatant fabrications intended to maliciously smear and defame Trump and interfere with the upcoming US presidential election. Trump's representatives also emphasized that strong legal action would be taken against the production team of The Apprentice . At the time, this warning carried significant weight. It wasn't just a matter of a potential lawsuit; it was much bigger than that, as people began to lean toward the possibility of Trump becoming the next president (Joe Biden had been eliminated from the race and there was no stronger candidate). Distributors feared repercussions. What would happen if Trump won? What would he do to them? After its initial success at Cannes, the film struggled to find buyers until Briarcliff Entertainment decided to take on the "hot potato." Businessman Tom Ortenberg may be seen as the savior of The Apprentice team, but he has become a villain over his own creation. Variety considers this situation unusual and worrying, as it stifles artistic freedom. Simply put, Hollywood thinks and acts as if it were living under a dictatorship.

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