Progressives hoping for a last-minute blow to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign were disappointed this weekend when The Apprentice, a film intended to paint a negative portrait of Trump’s early years, flopped at the box office.
The movie, which aimed to be an “October Surprise” that could influence next month’s election, grossed only $1.6 million during its opening weekend, averaging fewer than 10 viewers per showing in the 1,750 theaters where it premiered.
Written by liberal journalist Gabriel Sherman, The Apprentice stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump, Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, and Jeremy Strong as Trump’s former attorney and mentor, Roy Cohn.
Trump Fighting For America Collectable Gold Coin – Fight! – Must See
The film depicts Trump in controversial scenarios, including alleged incidents of sexual assault and participation in illicit activities. It also accuses him of racist behavior as a landlord and using blackmail to further his interests.
Despite the film’s controversial content, The Apprentice was met with positive reviews from mainstream critics and was even nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
However, audiences did not seem interested, with the movie underperforming even older re-releases like A Nightmare Before Christmas, a 30-year-old film available on streaming platforms.
Liberal media outlets quickly came to the film’s defense. Variety offered an excuse for its poor box office numbers, stating that “the most chilling thing about Donald Trump is offscreen.”
Meanwhile, The Telegraph speculated that bad publicity stemming from its association with Dan Snyder, former owner of the Washington Redskins, could have contributed to the film’s failure.
Snyder, who helped finance the project, allegedly threw a fit after seeing the finished product, sending legal letters demanding a halt to the film’s distribution.
In stark contrast, the pro-Trump documentary Vindicating Trump, directed by Dinesh D’Souza, outperformed The Apprentice despite the typical disadvantage documentaries face compared to narrative films.
Additionally, the narrative film Reagan, about former President Ronald Reagan, debuted six weeks ago to a much stronger $7.7 million, nearly five times what The Apprentice earned.
Reagan presents the 40th president in a positive light, showcasing his rise from humble beginnings, his moral strength, and his fight against Communism.
While the film received largely negative reviews from mainstream critics, it resonated with audiences.
On Rotten Tomatoes, more than 5,000 verified users rated Reagan highly, while only 19 professional critics gave it poor marks.
The vast gap between audience and critic reactions for the film is one of the largest in Rotten Tomatoes’ history.
Donald Trump himself praised Reagan during a rally in Coachella over the weekend, where he was joined by actor Dennis Quaid, who plays Reagan in the film.
Trump referenced Reagan’s famous 1980 campaign question, asking the audience, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”
Later in the rally, Trump lauded the film, saying, “That movie was great,” and commended Quaid’s portrayal of Reagan.
Notably absent from Trump’s speech was any mention of The Apprentice, though his legal team reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to its director, Ali Abassi, accusing the film of defamation.
Trump has publicly criticized The Apprentice, calling it “a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job” on TruthSocial.
He questioned the legality of using the title, which shares its name with the reality TV show Trump hosted, and expressed hope that the film would “bomb.”
Despite these criticisms, The Apprentice director Ali Abassi defended the film during a CNN appearance, claiming it aimed to be nonpartisan. “Our liberal friends were saying this is not critical enough of him, and the Trump camp is saying this is too critical,” Abassi said, adding, “that’s the point of being nonpartisan.”
However, the film’s poor performance at the box office suggests that audiences, particularly in a heated election season, may not have agreed with that assessment.
As the 2024 election draws closer, The Apprentice seems unlikely to have the impact its backers hoped for, while Trump continues to galvanize support with rallies and media appearances.
Source: https://www.rvmnews.com/2024/10/anti-trump-film-the-apprentice-bombs-at-the-box-office-watch/
.
