The critically acclaimed biopic of Donald Trump Apprentice — which the former president has repeatedly condemned — is heading to theaters in a somewhat surprising place: Russia.
This movie is written by a veteran. Vanity Fair Directed by reporter Gabriel Sherman and rising Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, the Russian distribution deal has been secured and is set to open on 800 screens nationwide on Friday. Moscow-based distributor Arna Media is handling the release after acquiring local rights to the film from UK sales agent Rocket Science last month. Sources close to the film say that only minor cuts were needed to bring the film to Russia.
Russia’s release plan is somewhat in contrast to the real Donald Trump’s allegedly cordial relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has strictly barred any artistic expression he deems inimical to his regime’s interests. . Moscow has raided concerts and fined musicians critical of the civil war in Ukraine, put dissident filmmakers on wanted lists, and censored books and art exhibitions.
Last month, journalist Bob Woodward reported that Trump had spoken to Putin several times since leaving the White House. Meanwhile, Trump has threatened to sue the producers. Apprentice and called the film “a cheap, defamatory and politically hateful work”.
Trump added in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that “HUMAN SCUM, like those involved in this hopefully failed business, can say whatever they want to harm a political movement and is allowed.”
However, film critics have taken a different view. Apprentice When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, it opened to rave reviews and an eight-minute standing ovation. Powerful work from the film’s main cast — Marvel star Sebastian Stan in an intriguing turn as young Donald; Succession Favorite Jeremy Strong brings his thorough procedural intensity to Roy Cohen’s dark eccentricities. And Borat 2 Breakout Maria Bakalova as the vibrant young Ivana Trump – has made the film the Oscar frontrunner in several categories for the 97th Academy Awards.
Nevertheless, the film’s journey to American movie screens was packed – and the same was the case in Russia.
Days after the premiere in France, Trump’s lawyers filed a cease-and-desist letter threatening to sue the producers and any future distributors. Apprentice. At the same time, reports surfaced that the film’s principal financier, Kinematics — founded by producer Mark Rappaport, the son-in-law of billionaire and prominent Trump donor Dan Snyder — objected to a key scene in the film where a young man Donald rapped. His then wife Ivana Trump.
A long struggle over the film’s final cut resulted, and the perceived threat of retaliation from a possible second Trump presidency led to all major US studios and streamers to acquire the film for release. Ultimately, a last-minute deal between Kinematics and indie distributors Briarcliff Entertainment and startup outfit Rich Spirit cleared the way for the film to open in North America on October 11. The director, Abbasi, heavily re-edited it, strengthening several sequences, including the rape scene.
For Russ’ release, the producers initially received requests to remove the rape scene entirely. Abbasi is said to have argued fiercely for the importance of the film and eventually a compromise was reached. The final Russian cut restored the version of the attack scene that played at the Cannes premiere, instead of the longer and more vivid depiction of Abbasi’s final cut.
That a Russian distributor would jump at the chance and try to release it. Apprentice Perhaps no surprise. The country has been plagued by Hollywood fare ever since studios began boycotting the Russian market in the wake of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Competition
In North America, Apprentice It opened below expectations last month with $1.6 million in its first weekend. The domestic tally has since climbed to around $3.9 million, while international territories have exceeded expectations, bringing the worldwide total to $12 million, according to producers. The film launches on premium VOD platforms — Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu, etc. — on Friday, November 1.
“We’re pretty happy with that number,” says executive producer James Shani. “From the beginning, we expected the film to do poorly during the awards season and beyond.”
Also called Shani. ApprenticeThe global numbers took a slight hit as the film was dropped in several international markets due to censorship issues. Abbasi and his producers negotiated back and forth with film regulators in India, Saudi Arabia and Singapore before finally concluding that the changes requested by those markets were ineffective. Some of the suggested cuts were in keeping with the usual policies of Saudi, Indian and Singaporean film regulators – all conservative and censorious areas in their own way. But it eventually became clear Apprentice The team said regulators were taking a heavier hand than usual because of the film’s high-profile subject matter, which could soon return to the US presidency.
“We thought they were asking more than usual, and trying to make it safer because of Trump,” says Shani.
Scott Roxborough contributed to this report from Germany.
Credit : www.hollywoodreporter.com
