Sebastian Stan is Donald Trump in new film set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival

film still Apprentice Donald Trump Movie will premiere Cannes Film Festival 2024

Scythia Films

Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong play Donald Trump and gay attorney Roy Cohn.

Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is The Advocate’s senior national reporter in Washington, D.C., covering the intersection of public policy and politics with LGBTQ+ lives, including The White House, U.S. Congress, Supreme Court, and federal agencies. He has written multiple cover story profiles for The Advocate’s print magazine, profiling figures like Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride, longtime LGBTQ+ ally Vice President Kamala Harris, and ABC Good Morning America Weekend anchor Gio Benitez. Wiggins is committed to amplifying untold stories, especially as the second Trump administration’s policies impact LGBTQ+ (and particularly transgender) rights, and can be reached at christopher.wiggins@equalpride.com or on BlueSky at cwnewser.bsky.social; whistleblowers can securely contact him on Signal at cwdc.98.

Read Full Bio

Christopher Wiggins

April 11 2024 6:42 PM EST

Cwnewser

Sorry to interrupt...
But we wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading. Your support makes original LGBTQ+ reporting possible. Help us hold Trump accountable.

One-time Monthly

$19.67 $50 Other

$5 $19.67 $50

A new film that delves into the early life and rise of Donald Trump is set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, running from May 14 to May 25.

The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, the notorious gay lawyer who denied his homosexuality through his death from AIDS in 1986, examines the future president’s formative years in the 1970s and 80s New York real estate scene, Deadlinereports.

The Ali Abbasi-directed film portrays the mentor-protégé relationship between Trump and Cohn, offering insight into the complex dynamics that propelled Trump’s career long before his political ascent. Maria Bakalova and Martin Donovan star as Ivana Trump and Fred Trump Sr., respectively, shining the light on family and business dynamics.

The film’s screenplay, crafted by Gabriel Sherman, known for his investigative work and best-selling former Fox News president Roger Ailes biography The Loudest Voice in the Room, provides a look into Trump’s early influences and challenges.

Stan’s portrayal of the former president in his early years is a significant shift from his well-known role as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Strong is perhaps best known for his role as Kendall Roy in the critically acclaimed television series Succession. In Succession, Strong delivers a compelling performance as a tormented heir of a global media conglomerate, struggling to both earn his domineering father’s approval and carve out his own identity in the cutthroat world of corporate media. His portrayal has earned him widespread acclaim.