Director Abbasi invites Trump to watch "The Apprentice"

Ali Abbasi, director of the controversial film "The Apprentice," responds to the latest attacks by Donald Trump, who has heavily criticised the film on social media. Despite the former president's legal threats, Abbasi invites him for further discussion.

Ali Abbasi, the director of "The Apprentice," has proposed a conversation with Donald Trump following another wave of criticism aimed at his production. 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 harshly criticised 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 the role of Trump, depicts the former president in the 1970s and 80s when he was heavily influenced by his lawyer, Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong). The production also touches upon 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 rage.

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 characterised Sherman as "talentless" and claimed Hollywood is attempting to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

"The Apprentice" premiered at Cannes in May 2024 but hit cinemas on 11th October. 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."

Ali Abbasi admits that the former president of the USA contributed his negative opinion to the greater interest in 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 organise 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 €1 million at American box offices in its first weekend after release, placing it 10th among new titles.