Movie Investor Upset by Depiction of Trump in ‘The Apprentice’: Report

One billionaire investor behind “The Apprentice” movie is reportedly furious over the portrayal of former President Donald Trump in the fictionalized biopic about his rise to stardom.

Directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, sources told Variety magazine that one investor — former owner of the Washington Commanders Dan Snyder and well-known Trump supporter — is reportedly very unhappy about the film.

A legal battle is reportedly going on behind the scenes between the Snyder-backed company Kinematics and the filmmakers over the film, the outlet reported. Snyder reportedly put money into the film because he was under the impression it would be flattering to Trump.

Kinematics president Emanuel Nuñez told Variety that any issues with the creative direction of the film are an impasse between his company and the filmmakers and do not involve Snyder.

“All creative and business decisions involving ‘The Apprentice’ have always been and continue to be solely made by Kinematics,” Nunez said. “Mark and I run our company without the involvement of any other third parties.”

A description of the movie on IMDb said that the film told “the story of how a young Donald Trump started his real estate business in 1970s and 80s New York with the helping hand of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn.”

Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump movie “The Apprentice” counts billionaire Dan Snyder as an investor. But he’s said to be furious over the cut playing at Cannes as he was under the impression the film was going to be a flattering portrayal of Trump.https://t.co/nsWqGdidAj

— Variety (@Variety) May 20, 2024

One of the topics covered in the film was Trump’s marriage to ex-wife Ivana Trump. One source said that after Snyder saw a cut of the film in February, cease-and-desist letters were sent out with Kinematics’ lawyers fighting the release of the movie.

One of the parts that has reportedly sparked Snyder’s was a scene in which Trump allegedly sexually assaulted Ivana. A source with knowledge described it as “violent” and “uncomfortable” and said that it followed a fight between the couple.

In 2015, Ivana refuted her earlier claim that Trump raped her, saying, “The story is totally without merit. Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised three children that we love and are very proud of,” the outlet noted.

The official logline for the movie labeled the film “a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn,” the Hollywood Reporter noted.

The screenplay was written by Gabe Sherman; Marvel star Sebastian Stan took on the part of a young Trump before TV fame and his eventual rise to the highest political office in the land. “Succession” star Jeremy Strong landed the role of Trump’s attorney Roy Cohn with actress Maria Bakalova playing Ivana Trump and veteran actor Martin Donovan getting the part of Donald’s father, Fred Trump Sr.

Related: Trump Movie ‘The Apprentice’ Headed To Cannes; First Look Drops

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