Here's Everything We Know About the Steve Jobs Biopic Danny Boyle is set to direct the movie, which is adapted by Aaron Sorkin from Walter Isaacson's biography on Jobs, and it looks like Christian Bale will be cast in the titular role.
By Laura Entis
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It seems the buzz around the Steve Jobs biopic based on Walter Isaacson's biography has been around forever. And production hasn't even started yet.
Still, from the details that have emerged about the project piecemeal, it's shaping up to be a very strange beast.
Originally, David Fincher – the mastermind behind dark, tightly coiled dramas, including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network and, most recently, Gone Girl – was in talks to direct. That fell through, and now Danny Boyle is reportedly taking the reins.
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Boyle's past projects, which straddle genres and tones, include the exhilarating Slumdog Millionaire, the manically energetic Trainspotting and the dystopian zombie horror-film 28-Days later. Stylistically, he is miles away from Fincher's characteristic laser-focused precision and intensity, so it will be interesting to see the direction in which he takes the film, especially considering that Christian Bale, an actor known for his own intensity and commitment, will likely play Jobs.
While Leonardo DiCaprio was in talks to play Apple's iconic founder, he's since backed out and now, sources close to the project confirm that Bale is indeed in talks to take his place, Variety reports.
As casting goes, Bale isn't a bad choice; the actor has already proven his range -- compare his weary performance as Batman in the Christopher Nolen-directed The Dark Night trilogy with his humorous portrayal of con-man Irving Rosenfeld in David O. Russell's American Hustle – as well as the ability to undergo intense physical transformations.
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What does seem strange is the movie's reported structure and pacing. According to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Moneyball) the film won't follow a traditional narrative trajectory. Back in 2012, he revealed to the Daily Beast that the entire movie, which is based on Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, will take place in just three scenes. What's more, these scenes will "all take place in real time," he told the outlet. "There will be no time cuts. Each of these three scenes is going to 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."
According to Sorkin, the movie will end with the line 'Here's to the crazy ones,' a reference to one of Apple's most iconic ad campaigns.
"If I can earn that ending, then I'll have written the movie I want to write," he said.
Related: Leonardo DiCaprio Won't Play Steve Jobs in Upcoming Biopic. Who Should Take His Place?
