Clint Eastwood Turned Down Directing One Of 2024's Most Controversial Movies

It's an election year and, because of the way things shook out, there has been a lot of talk about former president Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in office as the Republican nominee, running against Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee and current Vice President of the United States. So, on one hand, "The Apprentice," a recent biopic about Trump's rise to fame as a New York businessman, seemed like a timely concept. It hasn't exactly panned out as it wasn't only a lightning rod for controversy, but it flamed out at the box office as well. It turns out, a couple of A-list directors passed up the opportunity to step behind the camera for this one.

"The Apprentice" was directed by Ali Abbasi ("Holy Spider," "Border"), with Sebastian Stan, known best as Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying Trump. In a recent interview with Le Figaro (translated to English), Abbasi revealed that none other than Clint Eastwood ("Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby"), as well as Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood," "Phantom Thread"), passed on the film. Here's what he had to say about it:

"The producers of 'The Apprentice' were having a difficult time finding the right director who would risk his career. Paul Thomas Anderson said no. Clint Eastwood as well [...] they had to assess the business risk."

This is, to say the least of it, quite the revelation. Eastwood is a true cinematic legend both in front of and behind the camera. From starring in classics like "Dirty Harry" to directing classics like "Unforgiven," he has been a huge piece of the fabric of American cinema for decades. His most recent (and possibly final) film "Juror #2" has been garnering very positive reviews, proving that Eastwood still has the goods well into his 90s.

It's unclear why Eastwood passed on the film, but he is 94 years old. It is not only a big ask for anyone that age to take on a directing gig. At his age, if it's not something he absolutely wants to do, there's no reason to do it. At the same time, he's tackled real-world figures in films like "Sully" and the blockbuster war flick "American Sniper" in recent years, so it's easy to see why he was approached.

As for Anderson, he is very choosy about the projects he takes on and is one of few directors working in Hollywood who can make original films with A-list ensembles. Again, something like this might have been a tough sell for several reasons.

For one, "The Apprentice" faced a lawsuit and had a hard time getting released in the first place. As it's not exactly a favorable portrait of Trump, it was always going to draw a lot of attention. If someone like Eastwood or Anderson got involved, it would have brought a lot of publicity to the film. Is that the kind of publicity either of them wanted? Probably not. Speaking further, Abbasi explained that finding distribution for the film was difficult because, in his view, Hollywood was afraid of it.

"I don't see any other explanation than fear. Hollywood is a great creative machine, it's also a conservative company. That said, it would be more marketable and sexy to say: 'The studios didn't want to release The Apprentice. We are victims of censorship."

For what it's worth, the film has generally been met with favorable reviews. I caught "The Apprentice" at Fantastic Fest and gave it a 7 out of 10 review. The problem, for me, is that this is a movie nobody really wants right now. A few years from now? Maybe. But not right now. The box office seems to back that up. As of this writing, the film has made just over $8 million globally against a $16 million budget. Would that number have increased with Eastwood's name attached? Probably, but that's not how things panned out.

"The Apprentice" is in theaters now, or you can pre-order the film on Blu-ray/DVD from Amazon.