News of the Donald Trump biopic comes at an interesting time, as the former president is facing trial in New York for fraud. He’s facing other indictments, including one in Georgia for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Despite all of this, Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. Per Deadline, production has already begun on “The Student,” meaning it could very well have an opportune release window in late 2024 around the time of the election … assuming Trump stays out of prison and actually becomes his party’s nominee.
Deadline also reported on some of the film’s additional cast members. Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) and Maria Bakalova (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”) have joined the movie in undisclosed roles at this point. Sources tell Deadline “The Student” will focus on Trump’s relationship with infamous attorney Roy Cohn, whom Strong is reported to play. It’s also being said that Bakalova will play Ivana Trump, the former president’s first wife. It’s a full circle moment for Bakalova, who’s delved into the world of Trump before in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” which skewered some of Trump’s perceived sycophants like Mike Pence and Rudy Giuliani.
Being set in the ’70s and ’80s means any developments with Trump’s legal problems or his next bid for the White House shouldn’t impact the story. The screenwriter for “The Student” is Gabriel Sherman, who wrote “The Loudest Voice in the Room,” which examined Fox News president Roger Ailes. It’s safe to say he’s qualified to tell the story of Trump. As for Sebastian Stan, he better get used to using the best words because no one uses the best words like Trump.
