Formerly with Sony, Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs biopic picked up by Universal
The much-anticipated upcoming movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs has been picked up by Universal Pictures, less than a week after it was dropped and put into turnaround by Sony Pictures.
The studio switch has been all but confirmed by TheWrap, which cites “an individual with knowledge of the deal.”
The site also reports that Michael Fassbender is “attached” to star in the biopic as the late Apple cofounder and CEO. Fassbender’s name has been bandied about since the lead role was turned down by Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale.
The latter’s casting was “confirmed” about a month ago by no less than the film’s Oscar-winning screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin. Bale, an Oscar winner himself, reportedly bailed out of the project because of the “sheer demands” of the script.
According to Sorkin, the script runs for 181 pages, about 100 of which are focused on the role of Jobs. It’s said to be divided into three 30-minute scenes, with each scene taking place behind the scenes of a major product launch, e.g. the original Mac, the NeXT cube, and the iPod.
The movie is set to be directed by Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire,” with Seth Rogen rumored to be in talks to star as Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.
As noted by TheWrap, Jessica Chastain has also emerged as a potential cast member. The Oscar-nominated actress may portray Jobs’ first child and daughter of his longtime partner Chrisann Brennan, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, who Sorkin has said is the “heroine” of the upcoming biopic.
The film is expected to start principal photography later this year.
See also: Apple working on virtual reality systems as suggested by new job listing, Apple touts Continuity calling and A8-powered gaming in new TV ads for iPhone 6, and Apple to offer special (RED) gift cards on Black Friday on some purchases.
