Shooting for Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs biopic (formerly Sony Pictures’ Steve Jobs biopic), has officially begun – and with that, the official cast has been announced.
No real surprises here, as Michael Fassbender will play Jobs. Kate Winslet will play former marketing chief of Macintosh Joanna Hoffman. The only recent rumor that didn’t materialize was a “major role” for Natalie Portman.
In the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, we have Seth Rogen. Jeff Daniels is former Apple CEO John Sculley. Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice, Being Flynn) will star as Chrisann Brennan, Jobs’ ex-girlfriend. Other cast members include Andy Hertzfeld, Perla Haney-Jardine, Ripley Sobo, Makenzie Moss, Sarah Snook, and Adam Shapiro.
Danny Boyle will direct. As far as the structure of the film, Universal has confirmed what screenwriter Aaron Sorkin said last year.
“Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter,” says Universal.
Universal picked up the project last November when Sony dropped it after a creative carousel likely left the studio a bit fatigued.
The film was first announced in May of 2012, and soon after Sony hired Aaron Sorkin to pen the screenplay. He finished the script and submitted it in January of 2014.
Since then, it’s been rife with issues. David Fincher was originally attached to direct the film (he and Sorkin had worked together on another film, The Social Network). It was reported that Fincher wanted Christian Bale for the lead role – and that it was pretty much a Bale or bust ultimatum.
In April, Fincher left the project amid reports that he was making “aggressive demands for compensation and control.”
The movie then traveled to director Danny Boyle and Leonardo DiCaprio became the next rumored Steve Jobs. The next few weeks were filled with more Christian Bale rumors. But when Universal picked up the film for a reported $30 million, Fassbender became the frontrunner to play the late Apple co-founder.
And here we are, years later, and the film is just now getting off the ground. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
