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Reporter Gabe Sherman To Pen Donald Trump Movie ‘The Apprentice’
Gabe Sherman, the journalist who penned the definitive book on Roger Ailes and Fox News and often led coverage in the sexual harassment scandals that engulfed the cable news network, has been tapped to write The Apprentice. The original screenplay will explore how a young Donald Trump set himself on the unlikely path to become President of the United States.
Amy Baer is producing the feature film through her company Gidden Media. Sherman, currently a correspondent for Vanity Fair, will also be an executive producer.
The plan is to craft the story of Trump’s rise to power as seen from the perspective of his many early influences, including lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn.
“As a journalist, I’ve reported on Donald Trump for more than 15 years,” Sherman said. “I’ve long been fascinated by his origin story as a young builder coming up in the gritty world of 1970s and ’80s New York. This formative period tells us so much about the man who today occupies the Oval Office.”
Sherman is adapting his 2014 biography on Ailes and FNC, the bestselling The Loudest Voice in the Room, as a Showtime limited series. Blumhouse Television and Spotlight director Tom McCarthy are executive producing that project, titled Secure and Hold: The Last Days of Roger Ailes, which is in development.
Baer’s Gidden Media produced the Elle Fanning-starring Mary Shelley, which IFC Films bows May 25. It’s also in post on Brian Banks, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Aldis Hodge and Greg Kinnear.
“Gabe is an extraordinary storyteller as well as an impeccable journalist,” Baer said. “The timeliness of this subject, combined with Gabe’s professional pedigree and integrity, makes this a rare alignment of talent and subject.”
Sherman is repped by Ross Yoon Agency, M360 and Hotchkiss & Associates.