As predicted earlier this month when Sony unexpectedly dropped director Danny Boyle’s untitled biopic of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Universal Pictures has picked up the project.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Fassbender is still attached to star in the film, which is based on a screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin and was inspired by Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography of Jobs. The outlet reports that the project was initially shopped around with a $30 million price tag, though it’s uncertain how much Universal actually paid to acquire the film.
In development at Sony for over two years now, the untitled biopic has had multiple directors and leading men attached and subsequently exit from the project, including filmmaker David Fincher and actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale prior to Fassbender taking the lead role.
Seth Rogen was attached to play Jobs’ co-founder at Apple, Steve Wozniak, with Jessica Chastain (Interstellar) also attached to an unknown role. It’s uncertain if both actors are still involved now that the film has transitioned to a new studio and a new leading man has joined the film.
There’s no word on when the project is expected to begin filming or any potential release date.
