Marvel's Sebastian Stan Tapped To Play Donald Trump In The Student Film
It's normal for former presidents to get movies made about them. Josh Brolin played George W. Bush in 2008's "W.," which came out while Bush was still in office. Then there's 2016's "Barry," centered on Barack Obama's life as a college student. To keep the trajectory going, it only makes sense for Donald Trump to receive his own movie, and it's now coming to fruition with a pretty intriguing actor taking the lead role.
Deadline reported that Sebastian Stan, known for playing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will take on the role of Donald Trump. Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, who previously helmed "Holy Spider" and two episodes of "The Last of Us," will direct the film, titled "The Student." The movie won't focus on Trump's residence and will instead reportedly hone in on how he built his real estate business throughout the 1970s and '80s.
Stan is developing a knack for biopics. He played Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in the Hulu miniseries "Pam & Tommy" and starred in the 2023 film "Dumb Money," which was based on the real-life GameStop stock story. As for "The Student," it's likely going to receive some free publicity due to the myriad legal issues Trump presently faces.
The Student will also star Jeremy Strong and Maria Bakalova
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.