In early June, Ali Abbasi, the Danish-Iranian filmmaker, publicly vented his frustration on the social media platform X, lamenting the lack of interest from major studios and distributors for his film. He remarked, “For some reason, certain powerful people in your country don’t want you to see it!” This sentiment echoed his growing exasperation over the hurdles he faced in bringing his latest project to a wider audience.

Despite facing significant challenges after its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, the biopic titled *The Apprentice*—which chronicles the early years of former President Donald Trump and stars Sebastian Stan as a young Trump—has finally secured a distributor. According to the Associated Press, Briarcliff Entertainment has stepped in and plans to release the film in theaters across the United States and Canada on October 11, just in time for the upcoming November election.

Director Abbasi was determined to ensure that *The Apprentice* would reach audiences before they head to the polls. This urgency stems from his belief that the film offers critical insights into Trump’s rise in the New York real estate world, which he wanted voters to consider. However, Abbasi’s journey was fraught with obstacles, not least due to potential legal threats. Following its premiere at Cannes in May, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s reelection campaign, dismissed the film as “pure fiction” and announced plans to pursue legal action against what he described as “blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”

*The Apprentice* delves into Trump’s ascent in the competitive New York real estate market, highlighting his relationship with defense attorney Roy Cohn—portrayed by Jeremy Strong—who served as a mentor to Trump. One of the film’s most controversial moments is a scene depicting Trump raping his wife Ivana Trump, played by Maria Bakalova. This particular portrayal has sparked significant debate and controversy.

The allegations of rape come from Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, where she claimed that Trump had raped her—a claim he has consistently denied. Ivana later clarified that her statement was not meant to be taken literally, suggesting instead that she felt violated in a different sense.

Despite the contentious nature of the film, Abbasi believes that Trump might not be entirely opposed to it. In May, he mentioned his willingness to meet Trump to discuss the movie’s context. “I would offer to go and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening, and have a chat afterwards, if that’s interesting to anyone at the Trump campaign,” Abbasi remarked.

As it stands, there has been no response from Trump’s campaign regarding Abbasi’s offer or the film itself.

Briarcliff Entertainment, known for distributing impactful films like the 2022 documentary “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” and the Liam Neeson thriller “Memory,” will be handling the release of *The Apprentice*. The company is led by Tom Ortenberg, who has a notable track record of successful releases, including Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” during his tenure at Lionsgate and the Oscar-winning film “Spotlight” as CEO of Open Road.

In summary, *The Apprentice* aims to shed light on Donald Trump’s formative years in real estate and is set for an October release by Briarcliff Entertainment. Director Ali Abbasi remains hopeful that audiences will engage with the film’s narrative before making their decisions at the polls this November.