“The Apprentice,” the controversial Donald Trump biopic, has removed a major hurdle as it plots a fall theatrical release. Kinematics, which is owned by Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders, has closed a deal for James Shani’s Rich Spirit to acquire the company’s interest in the political drama. That’s important because Snyder, who is a Trump supporter, was reportedly furious about the film’s unflattering depiction of the real estate mogul and former president as a drug-abusing philanderer who was heavily influenced by disgraced attorney and fixer, Roy Cohn. Kinematics attributed its departure to “creative differences.” Shani’s company was one of the film’s other backers.
Financial terms of the equity sale were not disclosed. In a release touting the sale, Kinematics said it financed the film’s production and that its involvement was overseen by its founder, Mark Rapaport and its president, Emanuel Nuñez. The release made no mention of Snyder.
“As a writer/director, I understand the importance of supporting visionary filmmakers in the independent film space,” said Rapaport in a statement. “I created Kinematics based on that core principle. After reading the script, I saw great potential in ‘The Apprentice’ and committed the funding needed to get it made. Unfortunately, creative differences caused Kinematics to leave the project.”
The Apprentice” was directed by Ali Abbasi and stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump. The film debuted at Cannes Film Festival to strong reviews, but the fight with Snyder and the filmmakers, as well as legal threats from Trump, made it difficult for the picture to score a distribution pact. It ultimately sold to Briarcliff Entertainment, a smaller indie studio, which is planning to reach the movie on Oct. 11. On Tuesday, “The Apprentice” also announced it was launching a Kickstarter campaign to “keep the film in as many theaters for as long as possible.” Grants of $100 mean donors will be listed on the end credits, while larger pledges give people the chance to get one of three toupees worn by Stan on-screen.
