Director of Donald Trump biopic ‘shocked’ the movie is seen as controversial-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

Ali Abbasi has revealed his ‘shock’ that The Apprentice, the biopic of Donald Trump, is being seen as a ‘controversial’ film

The flick, released in October, followed the beginning of the US President’s career in the 1970s – despite the subject matter, it has been praised highly by critics and currently commands a Rotten Tomatoes score of 84%.

Sebastian Stan – who earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Trump – led the cast alongside Jeremy Strong, Martin Donovan, Maria Bakalova and Jason Blicker.

Unpacking the reaction from many over the movie’s subject matter in a new interview with the Playlist, director Ali called out the ‘reception’ it has had across the US.

‘I’m disappointed and shocked about the reception in the US of The Apprentice. What I’m really shocked about is that the movie is being considered controversial,’ he said.

‘I’ve said this many times, I still don’t understand. I mean, you’re dealing with someone who is the encyclopedia entry of World Controversial, Donald Trump. I don’t know what’s controversial about the movie.’

Sebastian Stan took on the role of Donald Trump in the Apprentice (Picture: Briarcliff Entertainment)

Trump has come out against the biopic (Picture: Getty)

However, after Stan was blocked from taking part in Variety’s annual Actors on Actors series – as publicists were reportedly unhappy with the possibility of their clients discussing Trump with the star – he explained that the tides have started turning.

‘Some of my other friends in Hollywood reached out to me saying that if you want us, we’re ready to do it,’ he added.

‘On the other hand, I was talking to Sean Penn yesterday. He was very nice. And started talking about the movie without me knowing.’

He earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role (Picture: Briarcliff Entertainment)

Sebastian was alsoi nominated for A Different Man (Picture: PA)

Although the Apprentice is centered around one of the most controversial figures in politics, the film was recognized when the Golden Globes nominations were announced earlier today, with Stan earning a best actor nod.

He will be battling it out for the best performance by a male actor in a motion picture (drama) trophy against Adrien Brody, Timothee Chalamet, Daniel Craig, Colman Domingo and Ralph Fiennes.

The Gossip Girl favorite is a double nominee for next month’s ceremony, as he has also secured a nomination for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture (musical or comedy) thanks to his efforts in A Different Man.

Jeremy Strong secured a Golden Globe nod for playing Roy Cohn (Picture: Briarcliff Entertainment)

Meanwhile, Strong also got a mention for best supporting actor for his role as Roy Cohn, alongside former Succession co-star Kieran Culkin, while Yura Borisov, Edward Norton, Guy Pearce and Denzel Washington make up the rest of the category.

The flick premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, but those behind the scenes struggled to find a distributor.

Trump also attempted to get the release blocked, while his spokesperson publicly blasted the biopic as ‘garbage’, alleging that it ‘sensationalizes lies that have long been debunked’.

Maria Bakalova played Ivana Trump (Picture: Briarcliff Entertainment)

‘This “film” is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store, it belongs in a dumpster fire,’ they said.

Clearly undeterred, Bakalova – who plays Ivana Trump – shared that the film had been re-edited before it was released, teasing that some of the ‘most talked about scenes’ had actually been extended.

‘We have a new edit!’ she told Metro. ‘We decided that if people talked that much about them, maybe it’s right to give them a little bit more to talk about.’

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