Social media users appeared to dismiss an angry post by the director of “The Apprentice,” the biopic about Donald Trump before he stepped into a political career.
Director Ali Abbasi fired off a profane response to the recent Hollywood box-office bomb in a post on Monday.
“The Apprentice,” which featured a controversial scene depicting Trump raping his then-wife Ivana, prompted a warning letter from the former president’s attorneys accusing it of being a “concoction of lies.” While it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, garnering an extended standing ovation for the cast and director, “The Apprentice” failed to get any awards or secure a U.S. distribution deal.
Sleazy new Trump biopic shut out at Cannes Film Festival https://t.co/ihYYfFUZCT via @americanwire_
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) May 27, 2024
“Despite strong reviews, feverish media attention, a red-hot director in Ali Abbasi and a starry cast that includes Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, ‘The Apprentice’ remains up for grabs,” Variety reported, adding that “none of the major studios are bidding.”
“Privately, the team behind ‘The Apprentice’ believes that their difficulty securing a distribution deal is analogous to censorship,” the outlet continued, pointing to potential payback if Trump returns to the White House.
As reports came in about the dismal box office numbers over Memorial Day weekend, one article about the decline of blockbuster sequels and other “intellectual property” films seemed to spark a reaction from Abbasi.
“We have a new proposition for you. Its not a f—ing sequel nor is it a f—ing remake,” he wrote.
We have a new proposition for you. Its not a fucking sequel nor is it a fucking remake. Its called #The_Apprentice and for some reason certain power people in your country don’t want you to see it!!! https://t.co/EMoptrEqCP
— Ali Abbasi (@_aliabbasi_) June 3, 2024
“Its called #The_Apprentice and for some reason certain power people in your country don’t want you to see it!!!” he claimed.
Trump’s attorneys sent Abbasi a cease-and-desist letter that put a damper on pursuing a distribution deal, demanding that “all marketing, distribution, and publication” of the movie be stopped.
“The Movie presents itself as a factual biography of Mr. Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth,” Trump attorney David A. Warrington wrote in the letter. “It is a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections.”
In addition, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that they would be “filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”
“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked. As with the illegal Biden Trials, this is election interference by Hollywood elites, who know that President Trump will retake the White House and beat their candidate of choice because nothing they have done has worked,” Cheung added. “This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should not see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store, it belongs in a dumpster fire.”
Meanwhile, Abbasi’s angry outburst on X was met with icy responses.
Trump wins again, Ali Abbalsi loses again!
Winners win, losers lose.
— Andrew (@RealAndrew90) June 4, 2024
Keep your filthy movie to yourself, we don’t need any more of your trash.
— Tami Hoi (@hoi_tami) June 4, 2024
Because the “silent” majority is silent no more. Ya know, I think Killary called us ‘a basket of deplorables.” We ain’t trying to to see that . We are staying home from the box office for more reasons than sequels and remakes, pal.
— Marnie Good (@MarnieG0720) June 4, 2024
Some good news for a change.
— Know Your CYP450 Genes (@know_your_CYPs) June 4, 2024
From a publicist’s POV: 1) You must provide content ppl want. 2) You must define your audience. Apparently you did neither. That’s your fault. This film is a self-admitted propaganda piece you wanted dropped at election time. Apparently others don’t share your goals. Not our prob
— Frēda Drake (@DrFredaDrake) June 4, 2024
Haha – watching you meltdown because no one wants your fucking slander masquerading as a movie is more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.
— TheCrackerboxPalace (@TheLadyBuckley) June 4, 2024
— JD (@buck_swamp) June 4, 2024
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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