Full Breakdown
Amazon Mulls ‘Apprentice’ Reboot with Donald Trump Jr.
5/1/2026, 10:05:24 PM
Core Event
Amazon MGM Studios is evaluating a revival of “The Apprentice,” the reality-competition series Donald Trump hosted from 2004-2015. A Wall Street Journal report on April 29, 2026 said executives have floated Donald Trump Jr., the president’s 48-year-old son, as a possible host. Amazon confirmed the franchise is “not in active development” and no host has been chosen.
Background & Rights
The show aired 14 seasons on NBC, delivering 186 episodes and several spin-offs. Donald Trump left in 2015 to run for president but kept executive-producer royalties, earning six-figure annual payments in 2024. Amazon bought MGM in 2022, acquiring co-ownership of the series with Trump Productions. Key figures in the reboot talks include Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins, Donald Trump Jr., and former host Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has criticized the franchise’s political divisiveness.
Official Responses
Amazon’s spokesperson said the company is holding “preliminary internal discussions” but the series is not in active development. President Donald Trump, when asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy, called the original run “a tremendous success” and called his son “a good guy… with a little charisma.” Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking to *Empire*, warned the show’s link to Trump makes it “a very divisive period now,” recalling boycott concerns.
Conflicts & Gaps
Sources close to Donald Trump Jr. say he first heard of the reboot rumor from the Wall Street Journal, indicating no direct outreach from Amazon. Internal sources, however, claim executives have already earmarked him as a likely host. Amazon maintains no external talks have occurred, leaving the project’s status and timeline unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He’s a good guy. He’d be probably good. He’s got a little charisma going. You need a little charisma for that sucker. So, we’ll see what happens.” — Donald Trump, President of the United States
- “Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what’s next for The Apprentice as a property. The show is not in active development, and any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative.” — Amazon spokesperson
- “When people found out that Trump was still involved as executive producer and was still receiving money from the show, then half the people [started] boycotting it,” — Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California
- “I said, ‘The best person to hire would be Ivanka Trump,’” — Donald Trump, former host
Next Steps
Amazon has not set a production timetable. If the reboot moves forward, it would likely launch on Prime Video, potentially accompanied by further statements from the Trump family and additional disclosures about rights and revenue sharing.
