Since inventor and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ untimely death in 2011, there has been an arms race to get his life immortalized on the big-screen. The first project up to bat was, Jobs, the Ashton Kutcher led vehicle that was met with an underwhelming sigh, from critics and the general public. However, another project has quietly been in the works as well.
The other project is based on Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography called “Steve Jobs.” The biography was commissioned at Jobs’ request. It was primarily based on a long series of interviews with former colleagues, friends and enemies of Jobs. Jobs waived most of his rights to veto or even see the product before it went to print.
Legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) has adapted the book and Academy Award winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) will be directing the picture. They searched the Hollywood A-list for an actor to play the brilliant and charismatic Jobs, among those rumored to be under consideration were Leonardo Dicaprio, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale.
Well Sorkin and Boyle have nabbed their first choice for the part, that may be pre-ordained for Oscar glory. This is what the writer had to say about Bale and the role of Jobs in this film:
“What we needed was the best actor. It’s like the NFL draft. There are some people who make a science [out of it]. We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale. I couldn’t be more excited. He really is a phenomenal actor. He didn’t have to audition. There was a meeting. The role is an extremely difficult role. He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined. There isn’t a word or frame that he’s not in. There’s a tremendous amount of language. It’s an extremely difficult part and he is gonna crush it.”
There is no doubt that Bale is one of the greatest actors of his generation. Bale’s dedication and ability to transform himself for roles is legendary, so it is not a big surprise that he was on top of their list. Jobs is the revolutionary mind behind much of the futuristic technology, such as computers, laptops, and iphones, that has catupulted our society forward. So finding an actor that can embody who is certain to become a historical figure, was a challenge. What is more surprising is the story structure that Sorkin has planned for the film. This is how he has previously described the movie:
“[T]his entire movie is going to be three scenes, and three scenes only. That all take place in real time… There will be no time cuts and each will take place before a product launch. Backstage before a product launch. The first one being the Mac, the second one being NeXT after he had left Apple and the third one being the iPod.”
This explains why they need a charismatic and capable lead, since “there isn’t a scene or frame he isn’t in. And there is a tremendous amount of language.” The setup on face value seems really…boring. However, Boyle’s filmography shows that he is capable of holding audiences’ attention in single-location films. His horror-survival film, 127 Hours, comes to mind. It is a great example of Boyle directing a bio-pic focusing on a small period of an individual’s life. So expect the Steve Jobs bio-pic to follow suit and to grab some attention when it hits theaters sometime late next year.
Here is the clip of Aaron Sorkin’s interview explaining the complexity of the role of Jobs.
Does Christian Bale playing Jobs make you more excited to see the movie? Let us know on the comment boards, and !
Source: Joblo, ScreenRant
BONUS COVERAGE:
In the world of Batman v Superman and Marvel Civil War, we wanna see all stars battle each other. And Steve Jobs ultimate match is Bill Gates. Watch the battle of the century!!!