Two hot pre-election films
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After struggling to find a distributor, "The Apprentice" ā starring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump, and written by Vanity Fair's Gabe Sherman ā will be released in U.S. theaters 25 days shortly before Election Day, on Oct. 11.
- Why it matters: Director Ali Abbasi, the Danish-Iranian filmmaker, had prioritized getting "The Apprentice" into theaters before voters head to the polls, AP's Jake Coyle writes.
"The Apprentice" chronicles Trump's rise to power in New York real estate under the tutelage of defense attorney Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong.
- The new distributor, Briarcliff Entertainment, has released films including the 2022 documentary "Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down." The indie distributor is run by Tom Ortenberg, who at Lionsgate helped release Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Potential litigation dampened interest. After the film's Cannes premiere in May, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung threatened a lawsuit "to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers."
- Asked about the distribution deal, Cheung told me the film "is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. ... [T]his is election interference by Hollywood elites right before November."
"Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid" ā a documentary with tons of access to its hero, James Carville, and his wife, Mary Matalin ā will premiere on CNN on Sat., Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. ET, with release in theaters in the fall.
- "Political luminaries including Bill Clinton, Al Hunt, Donna Brazile, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, Mandy Grunwald, Rev. Al Sharpton, Mitch Landrieu and Sidney Blumenthal trace the story of Carville's rise from the bayou to the Beltway," CNN Films says in the announcement.
- "Interwoven throughout is the 30-year love affair between Carville and famed Republican operative Mary Matalin. ... [Director Matt] Tyrnauer reveals how their union defies political tribalism, serving as a counterpoint to the gladiatorial nature of modern politics."
