Entertainment
The team behind the Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’ talks politics, power and peril
It is hardly unusual for a director introducing their movie at a film festival to express some anxiety. But as he spoke to the crowd before a packed late-night Telluride screening of his controversial Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” on Saturday, director Ali Abbasi felt himself sweating with his own unique brand of jitters.
The screening, which had been kept under tight wraps heading into the festival, would be the first time a U.S. audience got a look at the film that ignited a firestorm at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where “The Apprentice” earned an 11-minute standing ovation even as it drew threats of lawsuits from the Trump campaign.
“I don’t get nervous often but I am actually nervous,” the Iranian-born Abbasi (“Holy Spider”) told the Telluride crowd. “This [film] has been some years in the making, and now it’s coming back home to you guys.”
“The Apprentice” charts Trump’s rise to fame and power in the New York of the 1970s and ’80s, with Sebastian Stan portraying the real estate developer and future reality TV star and politician alongside Jeremy Strong as his ruthless attorney and mentor Roy Cohn. Scripted by journalist Gabriel Sherman, who wrote a 2014 bestseller about late Fox News chief Roger Ailes, the darkly comic film presents Trump as a sleazy and callous, if charismatic, social climber who learns the art of achieving power through aggressive attacks, ethical disregard and the strategic manipulation of the the media under the tutelage of the amoral and deeply flawed Cohn.
After the film’s unveiling at Cannes, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung blasted it as “garbage” and “pure fiction” and vowed to file a lawsuit against the filmmakers in an effort to derail its release. Studios, streamers and indie distributors were understandably wary of picking up such a political hot potato. But ultimately Briarcliff Entertainment stepped in to distribute the film domestically, scheduling its release less than a month before a presidential election that has already been among the most tumultuous and fiercely contested in U.S. history.
The morning after the Telluride screening — and just 64 days before the election — The Times sat down with Abbasi, Sherman, Stan and Strong to discuss the film’s journey, the challenges of portraying such a polarizing figure and the impact they hope “The Apprentice” will have as the country braces for the final stretch of a deeply divisive election season.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Ali, when you introduced the movie last night, you said, “This is not a political hit piece. This is a mirror and it is intended to show you an image of yourselves as a community.” Can you elaborate on that?
Abbasi: This not a political hit piece. It’s in the nature of politics that you sort of streamline things to get a certain effect, in order to gain power or regain power. And that is really not the project here. We are all interested in exploring the complexities.
People ask, “Why are we going to watch this movie? What are you going to tell us that we don’t already know about Trump?” If you think you can get to know a character by reading a Wikipedia page, be my guest. But this is not information. This is an experience and it’s an experience of the complexity of these characters. Also, for me as an outsider, this was my chance to look at the American system and the utter corruption that has been an institutionalized part of it, at least from my perspective.
Strong: Of course, political machinations are part of what the film explores and examines. But really it’s a psychological investigation and, I think, a humanistic interrogation of these people.
Every great movie is about a relationship, I think, and this movie is about this relationship and the sort of formative aspects of it. Emerson said every institution is the shadow of a man. And I feel like this is looking at the very long shadow of this man [Cohn] refracted through that man [Trump]. It’s looking at that shadow that is casting its dark light on us now.
Ali makes these sort of phantasmagoric horror films, in a way. This is a monster movie. It’s a Frankenstein movie. It’s sort of the origin story of the birth of a mindset. With the combination of Gabe’s journalistic veracity and Ali’s Lynchian punk-rock filmmaking, we ended with something that is not “one plus one equals two.” All the politics aside, that’s the thing I feel excited for people to see.
The Trump in this film is very different from the one we see today. He’s younger and more vulnerable and still figuring out how he’s going to project himself onto the world. Sebastian, how did you find your way into him?
Stan: When I first read the script in 2019, it reminded me of “The Godfather Part II,” weirdly. I got this feeling that if I just forgot the character names and just looked at what was on the page — which is what ultimately you had to do — it felt like I was witnessing the solidifying of a person into stone. It reminded me of Michael Corleone’s arc in a lot of ways. Once you removed your subjective judgment of the thing, then you could see it in different ways.
Strong: As a fellow actor, I thought what Sebastian did is just a remarkable achievement. I didn’t ever see the stitching. It was just completely lived-in. I got to know a very different Donald until a certain point in the script where there were intimations of the person we know today, sort of Darth Vader. And when I met that Trump, that’s when I really understood the arc of what he was doing.
Sherman: For me, when I sat down to write the film, one of the things I really wanted to explore is, how do we humanize him? He’s this larger-than-life figure that lives in our imaginations but he’s also just a human being. I love the scene where Roy calls Donald and he’s asleep on the couch. There’s no superpower there — he’s just a guy who passed out on his couch. To normalize him as much as possible, I think, is something that is so rarely done with his character.
Stan, left, and Strong in a scene from “The Apprentice.”
(Pief Weyman / Apprentice Productions)
The Trump camp is alleging not only that the film is defamatory but that its release constitutes a form of election interference. Was the hope always that it would come out before the election?
Abbasi: I think it’s actually quite important to talk about the timing. I mean, I’m happy about the timing — it’s exciting, obviously. But we tried to make this movie since 2018 and every year it was like, “We’re almost there.” When Jan. 6th happened, we had some of the financing and everything, and then everyone was like, “No, thank you. Bye-bye.”
Sherman: I had a very prominent Hollywood executive come up to me at an event, I think in 2019, and said something like, “When Trump loses, call us. We’ll be interested.” We didn’t plan to have this out in a political sense. It was just a battle to get it made.
The film includes a scene in which Trump rapes his wife Ivana on the floor of their apartment, along with other scenes showing him getting liposuction and cosmetic surgery for his baldness. Why was it important to include those particular moments and how did you decide where to draw the line between what was fair game and what was too salacious?
Sherman: To me, the Ivana scene was a touchstone of the film because we are asking the audience to spend time with this character and we have to show all sides of him. We would be failing ourselves — I’d be failing myself as a writer and journalist — if we didn’t include that. He has been credibly accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women. He was found liable by a New York jury of committing sexual assault and defamation against E. Jean Carroll. This is an aspect of his character and it would be just a glaring omission if it was not in there, especially in this [post-#MeToo] climate.
Ivana made those allegations in a divorce deposition under the threat of perjury, under oath, and whenever she amended her statements, it was always because Trump’s lawyers were pressuring her before a book came out, or while he was running for president in 2016. So if you’re trying to assess the truth of something, if she says one thing and then later walks it back because his lawyers are threatening her, what seems more true to you? To me, her first statement feels more true. That is why we felt that was the most honest way to show the scene.
Given the stakes of the election, and knowing the ethos Trump learned from Cohn of “attack, attack, attack,” how are you preparing yourselves for what might come from him and his supporters when this movie opens?
Strong: I feel like the stakes with this are much bigger than whatever our individual stakes might be. Our role as artists is always to hold a mirror up to nature, and that might come with some risk. This is not the type of film that is getting made, for the most part. But I do feel like, in this age of alternative facts and fantasy, it’s more important than ever that art speaks the truth and interrogates that without fear. Neither of us are interested in judging or demonizing or vilifying these people. We attempted to understand them. Which would behoove all of us right now.
Stan: I think people that support and admire him will certainly see what they want to see in this movie. But we’ve been taking one day at a time, and it feels pretty nice to enjoy this day in this moment. We live in an uncertain time. I mean, look at the very different weekends we experienced where you went from an assassination attempt to a president stepping down. So who holds the answer? I don’t know.
Abbasi: When we did “Holy Spider,” I went through a version of this. Very much like the Trump campaign not watching this movie and coming with all these [attacks and threats], in Iran they watched the teaser of “Holy Spider” and were like, “This is blasphemy. This guy should be executed for it.” I don’t know how much was really meant but you never know. My parents still live in Iran and my mom was calling me and crying and begging me to take some things out of the movie for their safety. I was like, we’re riding on the back of the dragon. There’s no way to control the dragon. So let’s enjoy the ride at least as much as we can.
I don’t have this feeling like we have done something really dangerous and terrible and now we need to extend our security and hire two people with guns [for protection]. There’s a complexity there. The experience of the film and the performances are superlative to the political messaging or whatever. I ultimately think people will see it that way.
You know how “Barbie” worked, right? They said, “If you love Barbie, it’s a movie for you. If you hate Barbie, it’s a movie for you.” So we say the same thing. If you love Trump, it’s a movie for you. If you hate Trump, it’s also a movie for you.
Movie Reviews
‘See You When I See You’ Review: Cooper Raiff Gives a Deeply Felt Lead Turn in a Tragicomedy That’s Sad for the Wrong Reasons
After a 14-year hiatus during which he focused on directing television and acting, Jay Duplass made a welcome return to features in 2025 with The Baltimorons, a gentle May-December romance with an After Hours vibe and an unassuming charm that sneaks up on you like a surprise hug. I wish See You When I See You had a similar effect, but despite its sincerity and the raw pain of shattering real-life experience that infuses it, this feels like a knockoff struck from the template of a thousand bittersweet, funny-sad indie grief dramas branded with the old-school Sundance stamp.
Dysfunctional family whose members seem to have forgotten how to communicate? Check. Belabored metaphor that never adds up to much (in this case a sage grouse at risk of extinction)? Check. Surreally stylized flourishes that are both awkwardly realized and inorganic to the prevailing mood and style? Check. Random nostalgic nods to ‘90s bands? Check. Treasured childhood memory tarnished by soul-crushing trauma? Check. Tinkly piano score poised to underline every emotional beat? Check. The list could go on.
See You When I See You
The Bottom Line Not if I see you first.
Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)
Cast: Cooper Raiff, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, Ariela Barer, Kumail Nanjiani, Poorna Jagannathan, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever
Director: Jay Duplass
Screenwriter: Adam Cayton-Holland, based on his book, Tragedy Plus Time: A Tragi-Comic Memoir
1 hour 42 minutes
All this is a shame since first-time screenwriter Adam Cayton-Holland, adapting his 2018 memoir Tragedy Plus Time, is clearly drawing from a very personal well in depicting with candor the spiraling chaos of a young comedy writer as he struggles to move forward after his beloved younger sister’s suicide. The authenticity of the writer-protagonist’s feelings is undermined by the banal familiarity of a specific indie-film model.
It’s doubly regrettable because Cooper Raiff pours a ton of heart and humor, along with PTSD, into the author’s stand-in, Aaron Whistler. He’s likable and funny, and even when the character is pushing people away like a flailing mess, he never forfeits the audience’s compassion.
Duplass could not have wished for better preparation for material of this nature than his work as producer and director of six episodes — including the pilot — of HBO’s sublime Bridget Everett series Somebody Somewhere. That series started from a similar place, with a central character trying to regain her footing after the shattering loss of a sibling and tending to deflect her sorrow with humor. Every single member of the ensemble felt fully lived-in and relatable, something that can be said for only some of the principal roles here.
It’s been two months since Leah (Kaitlyn Dever) took her own life and her devastated family has still not been able to agree on funeral arrangements — if they are to have one at all. The urn containing her ashes sits conspicuously on the mantlepiece in her parents’ loveless bedroom.
Leah’s mother Page (Hope Davis) has become closed-off and sour, doing her best to ignore her own grave health situation; her husband Robert (David Duchovny) pours himself into his work as a civil rights attorney, avoiding the subject of Leah; their other daughter Emily (Lucy Boynton), who has her own young son to care for, urges Aaron to see a therapist and goes from impatience to anger at the extent to which his grief has hijacked everyone else’s loss. Aaron and Leah were always members of a private club from which Emily felt excluded.
A big part of Aaron’s trauma is that he was the one who found his little sister’s body; when he is forced, after a DUI charge, to sign up for a mental health diversion program, he’s uncooperative and hostile with the therapist, who tells him nothing he didn’t already know. Later, when he finds an empathetic therapist with whom he connects (Poorna Jagannathan), Aaron initially remains blocked, only able to revisit the night he found Leah dead up to a point.
Raiff is very good in these scenes, which makes it frustrating that the memory flashes throughout of time spent with Leah are so clunky and obvious. Dever is always a compelling presence, but Leah seems more like a bundle of exposed nerve endings than a real person — the dangerous, out-of-control highs, the precipitous lows, the psych ward stints. The worst part, though, is a thuddingly literal device so poorly handled it yanks you out of the movie every time — a hole opens up in the ceiling or sky at a certain point in Aaron’s recollections, and Leah is sucked up into the atmosphere.
There are sweet interludes when Aaron reconnects with his girlfriend Camila (Ariela Barer), who is furious about him ghosting her for months until she learns the reason. Still, it’s clear to her that Aaron is not OK, causing her to pull away again.
The scenes that work less well and seem virtually superfluous are those with Kumail Nanjiani as Adeel, an environmental activist who drags Aaron along with him to break into a fracking site that is disturbing the breeding ground of…the sage grouse.
Duplass can’t be accused of lacking sensitivity as a director, and in the moments when See You When I See You works best, the movie has an infectious warmth. Until it turns into treacly cliché. The performances mostly are better than the material deserves — Raiff in particular, but also Davis and Boynton. No one enjoys beating up on a film in which the writer has invested so much of himself and his pain. But Cayton-Holland and Duplass have somehow made an authentic tragedy feel phony and unaffecting.
Entertainment
Writers Guild Awards nominations include ‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ and more
The awards momentum for “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” continues to build.
Ryan Coogler’s historical vampire horror and Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedic political thriller were among the nominees for the 78th Writers Guild Awards announced Tuesday. Both films were also nominated in their respective writing categories for the 2026 Oscars.
Along with “Sinners,” the original screenplay nominees include the spy thriller “Black Bag” (David Koepp), the parental psychological dramedy “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (Mary Bronstein), the ping-pong picture “Marty Supreme” (Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie) and the multi-perspective mystery horror “Weapons” (Zach Cregger).
Joining “One Battle After Another” in the adapted screenplay category are the alien comedy “Bugonia” (Will Tracy), the gothic monster movie “Frankenstein” (Guillermo del Toro), the Shakespeare tragedy “Hamnet” (Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell) and the period piece “Train Dreams” (Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar).
The television series nominations included past nominees such as “Andor,” “Severance” and “The White Lotus” on the drama side, as well as comedies “Abbot Elementary” and “Hacks.” New series being recognized include “The Pitt,” “The Studio,” “The Chair Company” “Pluribus” and “Task.”
The winners will be announced at at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York on March 8. The Los Angeles-based show will be hosted by Atsuko Okatsuka and streamed live on the WGA West’s YouTube channel.
Screenplay nominees
Original screenplay
“Black Bag,” David Koepp
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Mary Bronstein
“Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
“Sinners,” Ryan Coogler
“Weapons,” Zach Cregger
Adapted screenplay
“Bugonia,” Will Tracy (based on the film “Save the Green Planet,” written and directed by Jang Joon Hwan)
“Frankenstein,” Guillermo del Toro (based on “Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley)
“Hamnet,” Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell (based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell)
“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson (inspired by the novel “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon)
“Train Dreams,” Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar (based on the novella by Denis Johnson)
Documentary screenplay
“2,000 Meters to Andriivka,” Mstyslav Chernov
“Becoming Led Zeppelin,” Bernard MacMahon & Allison McGourty
“White with Fear,” Andrew Goldberg
Television, streaming and news nominees
Drama series
“Andor” — Tom Bissell, Dan Gilroy, Tony Gilroy, Beau Willimon
“The Pitt” — Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle
“Pluribus” — Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, Vince Gilligan, Jonny Gomez, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock
“Severance” — Adam Countee, Mohamad El Masri, Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman, Anna Ouyang Moench, K.C. Perry, Megan Ritchie, Erin Wagoner, Beau Willimon, Wei-Ning Yu
“The White Lotus” — Mike White
Comedy series
“Abbott Elementary” — Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Lizzy Darrell, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner
“The Chair Company” — Zach Kanin, Gary Richardson, Tim Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, John Solomon
“Hacks” — Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky
“The Rehearsal” — Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola
“The Studio” — Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen
New series
“The Chair Company” — Zach Kanin, Gary Richardson, Tim Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, John Solomon
“The Pitt” — Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle
“Pluribus” — Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, Vince Gilligan, Jonny Gomez, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock
“The Studio” — Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen
“Task” — Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud
Limited series
“The Beast in Me” — Howard Gordon, C.A. Johnson, Ali Liebegott, Daniel Pearle, Gabe Rotter, Erika Sheffer, Mike Skerrett
“Black Rabbit” — Zach Baylin, Sarah Gubbins, Kate Susman, Andrew Hinderaker, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Carlos Rios
“Death by Lightning” — Mike Makowsky
“Dying for Sex” — Sheila Callaghan, Harris Danow, Madeleine George, Elizabeth Meriwether, Kim Rosenstock, Sasha Stewart, Sabrina Wu, Keisha Zollar
“Sirens” — Bekah Brunstetter, Dan LeFranc, Colin McKenna, Molly Smith Metzler
TV & streaming motion pictures
“The Best You Can,” Michael J. Weithorn
“Deep Cover,”Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow
“The Life List,” Adam Brooks (based on the novel by Lori Nelson Spielman)
“Swiped,” Bill Parker & Rachel Lee Goldenberg and Kim Caramele
Animation
“Abe League of Their Moe,” Joel H. Cohen (“The Simpsons”)
“Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy,” Lindsey Stoddart (“Bob’s Burgers”)
“It’s a Beef-derful Life,” Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin & Wendy Molyneux (“The Great North”)
“Parahormonal Activity,” Loni Steele Sosthand (“The Simpsons”)
“Scared Screenless,” Bill Odenkirk (“Futurama”)
“Shira Can’t Cook,” Mehar Sethi (“Long Story Short”)
Episodic drama
“7:00 A.M.,” R. Scott Gemmill (“The Pitt”),
“A Still Small Voice,” Brad Ingelsby (“Task”)
“Charm Offensive,” (“Pluribus”)
“Execution,” Eric Tuchman (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
“Got Milk,” Ariel Levine (“Pluribus”)
“Reunion,” Mara Brock Akil (“Forever”)
Episodic comedy
“A Call from God,” Mohammed Amer & Harris Danow (“Mo”)
“Pilot’s Code,” Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola (“The Rehearsal”)
“Prelude,” John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley, Danny R. McBride (“The Righteous Gemstones”)
“The Promotion,” Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Peter Huyck & Alex Gregory & Frida Perez (“The Studio”)
“The Sleazy Georgian,” Megan Amram (“Poker Face”)
“Worms,” Ayo Edebiri & Lionel Boyce (“The Bear”)
Comedy/variety series – talk or sketch
“The Daily Show,” Head Writer: Dan Amira; Senior Writers: Lauren Sarver Means, Daniel Radosh; Writers: David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Matt O’Brien, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker
“Have I Got News for You,” Head Writer: Mason Steinberg; Writers: Jim Biederman, Daniel Chamberlain, Jodi Lennon, Michael Pielocik, Jill Twiss
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” Senior Writers: Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali; Writers: Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Sofía Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford
“Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Head Writer: Alex Baze; Supervising Writers: Seth Reiss, Mike Scollins; Closer Look Supervising Writer: Sal Gentile; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Jenny Hagel, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker, Ben Warheit, Jeff Wright
“Saturday Night Live,” Head Writers: Alison Gates, Erik Kenward, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette; Senior Writer: Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Dan Bulla, Will Stephen, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; Writers: Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Jimmy Fowlie, Sudi Green, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Allie Levitan, Ben Marshall, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Moss Perricone, Carl Tart, Asha Ward; “Weekend Update” Head Writer: Pete Schultz; “Weekend Update” Writers: Rosebud Baker, Megan Callahan-Shah, Dennis McNicholas, Josh Patten, KC Shornima
“They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce,” Writers: Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Jon Glaser, Tami Sagher
Comedy/variety specials
“82nd Annual Golden Globes,” Written by Barry Adelman, Nefetari Spencer, Mike Gibbons, Brian Frange, Sean O’Connor, Alex Baze, Bob Castrone, Chris Convy, Anna Drezen, Jess Dweck, Noah Garfinkel, Lauren Greenberg, Ben Hoffman, Ian Karmel, Andrew Law, Mike Lawrence, Jon Macks, Bonnie McFarlane, Chris Spencer, Matt Whitaker
“The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation,” Written by Ian Berger, Devin Delliquanti, Jen Flanz, Jordan Klepper, Zhubin Parang, Scott Sherman
“Marc Maron: Panicked,” Written by Marc Maron
“Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor,” Written by Jon Macks, Chris Convy, Lauren Greenberg, Skyler Higley, Ian Karmel, Sean O’Connor
“SNL50: The Anniversary Special,” Written by James Anderson, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan Shah, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Mike DiCenzo, James Downey, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fowlie, Alison Gates, Sudi Green, Jack Handey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker, Auguste White
Quiz and audience participation
“Celebrity Jeopardy!,” Head Writer: Robert Patton; Writers: Kyle Beakley, Michael Davies, Terence Gray, Amy Ozols, Tim Siedell, David Levinson-Wilk
“Jeopardy!,” Writers: Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Jim Rhine, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Amy Ozols, Billy Wisse
Daytime drama
“Beyond the Gates,” Writers: Sara A. Bibel, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Ron Carlivati, Susan Dansby, Cheryl L. Davis, Christopher Dunn, Robert Guza Jr., Gregori J. Martin, Lynn Martin, Danielle Paige, Judy Tate, Michele Val Jean, Teresa Zimmerman
“General Hospital,” Head Writers: Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten; Writers: Cathy LePard, Emily Culliton, Nigel Campbell, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Kate Hall, Stacey Pulwer, Ryan Quan, Louise Rozett, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg
“The Young and the Restless, Associate,” Head Writers: Jeff Beldner, Marla Kanelos, Dave Ryan; Writers: Susan Banks, Amanda L. Beall, Marin Gazzaniga, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips
Children’s episodic, long form and specials
“The First Snow of Fraggle Rock,” Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson
“Stay Out of the Basement: Part I,” Rob Letterman, Hilary Winston (“Goosebumps”)
“Merry Giftmas,” Halcyon Person
“I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals,” Craig Silverstein, Rick Riordan (“Percy Jackson and the Olympians”)
“When We Lose Someone” Sean Presant (“Tab Time”)
Short form streaming
“The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel,” Jimmy Kimmel & Jesse Joyce
“Sesame Street YouTube: Take a Moment with Jonathan Bailey,” Andrew Moriarty
Documentary script – current events
“Syria After Assad,” Martin Smith (“Frontline”)
“The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram,” Thomas Jennings and A.C. Thompson (“Frontline”)
“The Rise of RFK Jr.,” Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser (“Frontline”)
“Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law,” Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser (“Frontline”)
Documentary script – other than current events
“Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act,” Chana Gazit (“American Experience”)
“Clearing the Air: The War on Smog,” Peter Yost & Edna Alburquerque (“American Experience”)
“Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP,” Rob Rapley (“American Experience”)
“Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s,” Jason Sussberg
“Mr. Polaroid,” Gene Tempest (“American Experience”)
News script – regularly scheduled, bulletin, or breaking report
“Devastating Flooding in Texas,” David Muir, Karen Mooney, and Dave Bloch (“World News Tonight with David Muir”)
“The L.A. Wildfires,” David Muir, Dave Bloch, and Karen Mooney (“World News Tonight with David Muir”)
News script – analysis, feature, or commentary
“Eye on America: Coldwater Creek,” Cait Bladt
“Gaza, Hannah Arendt, and The Banality of Evil,” Basel Hamdan
“Mysterious Russian Deaths,” Michael Rey, Cecilia Vega, Oriana Zill de Granados (“60 Minutes”)
“Remembering Palestinian Journalists Killed by Israeli Forces,” Lisa Salinas
“Uphill Battle,” Richard Buddenhagen, Kay Lim, Lesley Stahl (“CBS News Sunday Morning”)
Digital news
“Altadena Residents Know Their Community Is Worth Rebuilding. Can They Protect Its Legacy?,” Taiyler Mitchell
“American Siberia,” Alexander Sammon
“An Isolated Boarding School Promised to Help Troubled Girls. Former Students Say They Were Abused.,” Sebastian Murdock and Taiyler Mitchell
“How Cassie’s Lawsuit Against Diddy Galvanized A Movement of Survivors,” Njera Perkins and Taiyler Mitchell
“Trump Sent Them to Hell. Now He’s Erasing Them Altogether,” Matt Shuham and Jessica Schulberg
Radio/audio nominees
Radio/audio documentary
“Episode 2: A Game of Telephone,” Heather Rogers, Rachel Humphreys, Colin McNulty (“Camp Swamp Road”)
“Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie,” Max Freedman (“Decoder Ring”)
“Why Women Kill,” Mary Harris and Elena Schwartz (“What Next”)
Radio/audio news script – regularly scheduled, bulletin, or breaking report
“ABC News Radio Top of the Hour News,” Robert Hawley
“CBS World News Roundup,” Paul Farry and Steve Kathan
“Hasan Piker Knew Charlie Kirk,” Mary Harris and Madeline Ducharme (“What Next”)
Radio/audio news script – analysis, feature, or commentary
“How Will We Feed Our Neighbors?,” Mary Harris and Anna Phillips
“The Life and Legacy of Jimmy Carter,” Gail Lee
“We Made a Memecoin,” Lizzie O’Leary, Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort
On-air promotion
“Behind the Crown: King & Conqueror EPK,” Molly Neylan
“CBS Comedy,” Dan Greenberger
Movie Name : Sirai
Streaming Date : Jan 23, 2026
Streaming Platform : ZEE5
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Starring : Vikram Prabhu, LK Akshay Kumar, Anishma Anilkumar, Ananda Thambirajah
Director : Suresh Rajakumari
Producer : SS Lalit Kumar
Music Director : Justin Prabhakaran
Cinematographer : Madhesh Manickam
Editor : Philomin Raj
Related Links : Trailer
Sirai marks the 25th film of actor Vikram Prabhu. The Tamil movie was released on Christmas Eve and went on to score hit status at the box office. It has now arrived on OTT with a Telugu dub, and here is our review of the crime drama.
Story:
Set in 2003 in Guntur, Srinivas (Vikram Prabhu) is a head constable in the Armed Reserve (AR). During an escort duty, a prisoner attempts to escape, forcing Srinivas to shoot him dead, which puts him under scrutiny by higher authorities. While the enquiry is still ongoing, Srinivas is assigned another escort duty to transport Abdul Rauf (L. K. Akshay Kumar), a murder convict, from a central prison to Kurnool. During the journey, Srinivas senses something amiss, and the situation worsens when Abdul goes missing. With the prisoner required to be produced in court the very next day, the tension escalates. What happens next? Does Srinivas and his team manage to trace Abdul? Who is Abdul, and what is his backstory? The rest of the film unfolds the answers.
Plus Points:
The film touches upon a different and rarely explored aspect of police life. Unlike most films that focus on senior officers and portray them heroically, Sirai revolves around a head constable from the Armed Reserve. Srinivas is shown as a grounded human being rather than a larger-than-life policeman, which makes the approach refreshing.
Vikram Prabhu delivers a neat performance, but the actor who truly stands out is L. K. Akshay Kumar. He effectively portrays the dilemma, pain, and hope of a prisoner, and his performance becomes a major driving force of the film.
The flashback narrated from Abdul’s point of view is emotional and engaging. Along with the emotional depth, the suspense maintained in certain scenes, especially during the escape sequence and the pre-climax and climax portions, works well.
The police station episode after the escape, the emotional scenes in the final 30 minutes, including the courtroom portions, and the suspense-filled climax are well executed and keep the viewer engaged.
Anishma Anilkumar, as Kalavathi, delivers a neat performance. The remaining cast members perform adequately.
Minus Points:
There is limited scope to point out major drawbacks. Some viewers may find the initial portions slightly routine, but the narrative picks up as the film progresses.
Though Vikram Prabhu is the lead, his role offers limited scope for performance. While he gets sufficient screen time, the character does not demand much in terms of expressions. His personal life angle is underdeveloped, and the character of his wife adds little value to the story. In the flashback portions, the love story and conflict scenes could have been explored in more detail.
Technical Aspects:
Despite this being his debut, director Suresh Rajakumari impresses with his screenplay and execution, giving the film the feel of an experienced filmmaker’s work.
Justin Prabhakaran’s background score is one of the film’s highlights and plays a key role in maintaining suspense and enhancing emotional moments. Madhesh Manickam’s cinematography is neat and serves the narrative well.
Editing by Philomin Raj is effective, keeping the film crisp within its two-hour runtime. The production values are decent, and the Telugu dubbing is clean and well done.
Verdict:
On the whole, Sirai is an engaging crime drama backed by a solid screenplay and effective execution. Vikram Prabhu is decent, but L. K. Akshay Kumar steals the show. The police station episode, flashback portions, emotional moments, and suspenseful climax make it a film worth watching. Though the narration feels slightly slow in the beginning, it does not last long. On the whole, Sirai is definitely worth a watch for its content, execution, empathy, and humanity.
123telugu.com Rating: 3.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
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