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In a tight presidential race, Hollywood could sway American voters. Shortly before former President Donald Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, a small independent studio, Briarcliff Entertainment, is considering releasing “The Apprentice” in theaters for American audiences, according to the Hollywood Reporter website.

The biopic The Apprentice, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, has sparked controversy by portraying Trump as a rapist. The film is based on allegations made by Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, during divorce proceedings, which she later recanted. The film “The Apprentice,” directed by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, recounts an incident that occurred in 1989 and which Ivana described in her divorce affidavit. The film is set to hit U.S. theaters on October 11, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The film stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, with Jeremy Strong as Trump’s attorney Roy Cohn. The film provides a biography of Trump, focusing on his early career.

The film’s title refers to the entrepreneur’s experience with reality television in the early 2000s. Trump hosted a television show called “The Apprentice” that ran from 2004 to 2017. He also appeared on the spin-off “Celebrity Apprentice” until 2015.

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“The Apprentice” not only explores Trump’s personal life, but also delves into his relationship with Cohen, portraying the lawyer as an inseparable and influential figure early in Trump’s career. The film’s provocative content and controversial portrayal of Trump sparked intense discussion at Cannes.

The director describes the film as “an exploration of strength and ambition in a world of corruption and deceit” and “a mentor-mentee story that traces the origins of an American dynasty.”

The film’s press introduction described the film as “a story about the origins of a regime… featuring larger-than-life characters and set in a world of power and ambition.” He adds: “The film is a profound exploration of the rise of an American dynasty. It meticulously traces the emergence of a zero-sum culture, emphasizing the contrast between winners and losers, the dynamics between the powerful and the powerless, and complex personality psychology.

Trump and Ivana’s controversial rape scene

A key scene in the film shows Trump reacting violently after Ivana insults his appearance by telling him, “You have a face like a fucking orange. You’re fat, you’re ugly, and you’re bald.”

According to Variety, Ivana gave Trump a book about female orgasms. But Trump told her he was no longer interested in her, and the interaction turned dark. Trump threw her to the ground and angrily thrust into her. He asked, “Is that your G-spot? Have you found it?”

The moment echoes Ivana’s 1990 deposition, in which she described a similar assault after Trump’s scalp reduction surgery. She initially described the incident as rape, but later clarified in a 1993 statement that it was rape.

The film also shows Trump suffering from erectile dysfunction, undergoing liposuction and hair loss surgery.

What was the reaction from Trump’s side?

Just hours after “The Apprentice” was released in May, Trump’s lawyers vowed to sue the producers, calling the film “garbage” and “pure malicious slander.”

Speaking to Variety in May after the film’s premiere, Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung said they would file a lawsuit.

“This bullshit is pure fiction that raises lies that have long been debunked,” he said. “As with the illegal lawsuits against Biden, this is election interference by the Hollywood elite, who know that President Trump will take back the White House and defeat their preferred candidate because nothing he’s done has worked.” »

Further complicating the film’s prospects for a U.S. release is that one of its early backers was pro-Trump billionaire Dan Snyder, who was reportedly upset with its portrayal of Trump and called for the film to be banned.

Variety reported in May, based on sources, that Snyder, who donated $1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee in 2016 and $100,000 to his 2020 presidential campaign, invested money in the film because he felt it was a glowing portrayal of the 45th president. Snyder finally saw a cut of the film in February and was reportedly furious. His lawyers sent cease and desist letters.

Snyder has now been bought out of his financial stake in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.