Abbasi invites Trump to discuss film amid criticism
Ali Abbasi, director of the controversial film The Apprentice, responds to Donald Trump's recent attacks on the film on social media. Despite the former president's legal threats, Abbasi invites him to a further discussion.
Ali Abbasi, the director of "The Apprentice," has proposed a conversation with Donald Trump following another wave of criticism aimed at his film. In response to the latest insults from the former president, Abbasi jokingly tweeted: "Thanks for getting back to us @realDonaldTrump. I am available to talk further if you want. Today is a tight day w a lot of press for #TheApprentice but i might be able to give you a call tomorrow." Trump, who criticized the film: "the writer of this pile of garbage, Gabe Sherman, a lowlife and talentless hack, who has long been widely discredited, knew that, but chose to ignore it."
"The Apprentice," in which Sebastian Stan plays Trump, depicts the former president during the 1970s and 80s, focusing on his relationship with his lawyer, Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong). The production also addresses his marriage to Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova) and his relationship with his father, Fred Trump Sr. (Martin Donovan), which drew further disapproval from the former president. The scene of a fictional sexual assault on Ivana particularly sparked outrage.
Trump called the film "a classless fraud" and accused its creators, including screenwriter Gabe Sherman, of spreading false information. "My former wife, Ivana, was a kind and wonderful person, and I had a great relationship with her until the day she died," Trump wrote in response to the film's plot. Additionally, he characterized Sherman as "talentless" and claimed Hollywood is attempting to influence the outcome of the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
"The Apprentice" premiered at Cannes in May 2024 but hit theatres on October 11th. The production stirs significant emotions, especially due to the political context and upcoming elections. According to IndieWire, Abbasi does not expect Trump to love the film but would like his full opinion. "I'm sure he's going to watch it at some point. I feel like we've been fair, and I almost feel like there are a lot of things to like," the director said.
Similar to Trump, his campaign staff also reacted to the film. Steven Cheung, Trump's chief campaign spokesperson, described the production as "trash" and complete fiction that "spreads long-debunked lies."
"The Apprentice" director enjoys Trump's criticism
Ali Abbasi admits that the former president's negative opinion contributes to greater interest in the production. In an interview with TMZ, the director confirmed that every mention of the film by Trump only increases the number of viewers who want to see the controversial picture.
During the interview, Abbasi added that he is ready to organize a special film screening for Donald Trump and his family should the former president express such an interest.
Despite the controversy surrounding "The Apprentice," it has so far grossed only $2.2 million at Canadian box offices in its first weekend after release, placing it 10th among new titles.
