Already facing multiple indictments and an ongoing criminal trial in New York, former President Donald Trump is now preparing to return to court over a movie about him that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film, “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, portrays the rise of Mr. Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) from his early days in his father’s shadow to his association with Roy Cohn (portrayed by Jeremy Strong). The movie debuted in Cannes to an 11-minute standing ovation.

“The Apprentice” revisits several controversial incidents from Trump’s early years in the 1970s and 1980s, including his rise to fame with “The Art of the Deal.” One scene depicts Mr. Trump allegedly raping his then-wife Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova).

In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Monday that they would be filing a lawsuit against the film’s creators “to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”

“This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked,” Mr. Cheung said of the Competition film. “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.”

The real Ivana Trump, who died in 2022, initially spoke of the incident following their divorce but recanted her statement about alleged rape years before her death.

The film also presents graphic scenes showing Mr. Trump undergoing hair treatment for balding and liposuction, and further alludes to long-standing rumors of Trump using amphetamines.

Reviewing the film, Deadline’s Pete Hammond described “The Apprentice” as “compelling.” But Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign team appears determined to discredit the picture.

“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,” Mr. Cheung said. “It belongs in a dumpster fire.”

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