Skip to main content

Sony drops Steve Jobs movie

Just weeks after Christian Bale dropped out of the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic as lead actor, and a month after Leonardo DiCaprio walked away from the project, it’s been reported that an even bigger player has now decided to withdraw – Sony Pictures.

That’s right, the studio producing the flick has reportedly just ditched it, though according to The Hollywood Reporter the precise reason for its unexpected decision isn’t altogether clear.

Despite the surprise development, Sorkin’s script still has a chance of coming to life at some stage – Universal is apparently showing a strong interest in the project “with an eye on next year’s awards season,” the Reporter said.

Although director Danny Boyle is thought to still be on board, and Seth Rogen in place to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the movie lost Christian Bale as the lead at the start of the month. Michael Fassbender has reportedly agreed to replace Bale, but until Universal or another studio steps in to save the day, nothing can any longer be said for certain.

The film, which is believed to be at the final stages of pre-production, is an adaptation of the Walter Isaacson-penned biography that came out soon after Jobs’ death in 2011.

Scriptwriter Sorkin, who also wrote The Social Network (2010) about Facebook’s early days, has previously said that his Jobs movie will revolve around three set pieces, each one linked to a famous Apple product launch.

Since Jobs’ death three years ago, several movies have had a shot at telling the story of the Apple co-founder. These include last year’s Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, and a ropey comedic effort by the Funny or Die folk, but neither were much of a hit with movie fans.

Hopefully we can expect more with Sorkin’s effort. If it ever gets made.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
The 50 best movies on Netflix right now (April 2024)
Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You.

Netflix couldn't have asked for a better late April gift than the streaming premiere of Anyone But You. Thanks to Netflix's deal with Sony, 2024's blockbuster rom-com is already on top of the list of the most popular movies on Netflix, leaving Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver in second place. But things could be much worse for Rebel Moon – Part Two, which is performing well a week after its debut.

The other new addition for the week is King Richard, a sports drama starring Will Smith that's appearing on loan from Warner Bros. Discovery. It's also one of Netflix's top movies of the week, which suggests that the film may find sustained popularity on this platform that it didn't get on Max.

Read more
The best movies on Amazon Prime Video (April 2024)
Ritu Arya and Priya Kansara in Polite Society.

Things are admittedly slow on Amazon Prime Video during the final weekend of April. Fortunately, the martial arts action comedy Polite Society should be able to bring you some excitement this weekend. Romantic comedy fans can also check out How to Date Billy Walsh, a film that has entered the list of the top 10 most popular movies on Prime Video.

If neither of these films are for you, don't worry. This roundup of the best movies on Amazon Prime Video has something for just about everyone. And on May 1, a whole new batch of movies will arrive, with even more to come as we inch closer to summer.

Read more
The best horror movies on Amazon Prime right now
Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby.

Horror movies once had a reputation for being “dumb” films, but the world hasn’t viewed the genre that way for a long time. And whether you’re a fan of psychological thrills, slashers, ghost stories, or any other niche within the bigger pond, one of the best places to catch a horror flick is on Amazon Prime Video. 

Several times per year, we comb through the archives of Prime Video to handpick the best genre titles worth watching. Our criteria is pretty tough too, as we don’t want our readers watching the same cookie-cutter genre pics again and again. Still, we do our best to spotlight a handful of classics. 

Read more