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)…
Netflix is streaming the craziest action movie of 2024. Here’s why I loved it
A man floating in air kicks another man in the face in City Hunter.

This month seems to be the time to release action movies that color outside the lines. We've already had Dev Patel's Monkey Man, a messy, throw-everything-at-the-wall action movie that blends intricate fight sequences and on-the-nose social commentary in an entertaining package that will surely gain cult status in the near future. Just this weekend, Boy Kills World dished out loads of cartoon violence and over-the-top gore in a bid for John Wick-level fandom. Both movies bend or break the rules of reality to deliver quickly cut fight scenes that push the boundaries of the genre, all in an attempt to one-up the high standards set by the best movies in the Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises.

Yet the best of the April bunch is the one that has the lowest profile. City Hunter doesn't star anyone you'd recognize like It actor Bill Skarsgård in Boy Kills World and hasn't been backed by an extensive marketing campaign like Universal's Monkey Man. But the movie is a blast; it's like putting Pop Rocks in a can of Mountain Dew and chasing it down with a couple of Pixy Sticks. It's ludicrous, immature, and totally unrealistic. It's also my favorite action movie of 2024. Here's why you need to stream City Hunter pronto.
It's an adaptation of a massively popular franchise

Read more
The best sci-fi movies on Max right now
Christian Bale in Terminator Salvation.

There were only two notable sci-fi additions to Max in April: Terminator Salvation and Source Code. Both are very good movies, but it's been clear for months that Max is coasting on its sci-fi lineup. It's not enough to just have great films to watch, especially if they're on loan from other studios with an expiration date at some point in the future. Once films like Alien, Avatar, and all of the classic Star Trek films leave, Max's sci-fi library is going to look pretty weak.

For now, we're just going to have to live with the available selection for the best sci-fi movies on Max. But we also added Escape From L.A. just to give you more than two options that weren't on this list last month. If you want to see the rest of the films, just keep scrolling down.

Read more
3 great free movies you should stream this weekend (April 26-28)
A man and a woman talk to each other in Hardball.

What are you watching this weekend? All eyes will be on Zendaya as her new tennis film, Challengers, opens in theaters. The romantic thriller featuring a seductive love triangle will likely be the top film at the weekend box office. If you plan to stay home, Anyone but You, the hit rom-com starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, is now streaming on Netflix. Additionally, Monkey Man and Arthur the King are available for purchase on demand.

Not every film this weekend will cost money. You can check out the thousands of free movies with ads on FAST services including Tubi and Pluto TV. Check out our list of three films that you can watch for free this weekend. Our picks include a cult classic from the 1980s, an underrated sports drama from the early 2000s, and a revolutionary 1970s horror film.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Read more