Katherine Waterston joins Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs Biopic

It's been a very good year for Katherine Waterston already, having earned a ton of praise for her central performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice. And now she's getting an early Christmas gift by winning a lead role in Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's untitled film on Steve Jobs.

Waterston will play Chisaan Brennan, Jobs' first wife and the mother of his daughter, Lisa. Michael Fassbender will play Jobs, who for years denied Lisa was his child before finally coming to accept her. Sorkin has often called Lisa the "heroine" of the movie so when that role gets cast expect it to be a major role. Also on board to star in the film are Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak and Michael Stuhlbarg as computer scientist Andy Hertzfeld.  Sorkin, who worked with Waterston's father Sam on HBO's The Newsroom, broke the Jobs script into three 30-minute segments focusing on major Apple product launches.

It's unclear whether Waterston took the role Kate Winslet had recently entered negotiations for, but with filming to begin next year expect casting to be locked soon. [Deadline]

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First Look at Kate Winslet in 'The Dressmaker'; Eyes Role in Steve Jobs Biopic

It's been a pretty good couple of days for fans of Kate Winslet, of which there are plenty. Not only did we get a new trailer for period drama A Little Chaos, but now we're getting a first look at an upcoming project, plus news on what she'll be starring in next.

First up, Screen Daily has an image from Jocelyn Moorehouse's The Dressmaker, which stars Winslet as "a glamorous woman with a penchant for haute couture who returns to her small town in rural Australia to exact revenge on those who previously did her wrong." And this image certainly shows of the film's fashion sense, so mark this one down as a potential awards film for costume design next year. The Dressmaker co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving, opening in Australia next October.

And then there's word from Variety that Winslet is in talks to join Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Stuhlbarg in Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs biopic. Her exact role in the Aaron Sorkin-penned film remains a mystery but it will be the female lead. That film is now set up at Universal after being dropped by Sony.

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Nicola Peltz boards 'Low Riders' Film; Michael Stuhlbarg joins 'Jobs' Biopic; Stefanie Scott gets 'Caught'

 Last seen in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Nicola Peltz is now boarding another film about souped up rides. She's replacing Lily Collins in Universal Pictures' untitled Low Riders film, joining Demian Bichir and Eva Longoria. Ricardo de Montreuil will direct the East L.A. project set in the world of lowriders and street tagging. [Deadline]

The troubled Steve Jobs biopic continues to push ahead, adding the reliable Michael Stuhlbarg to the cast. Perhaps Universal chose him because he's so reliable and they don't want any more defections? Anyway, Stuhlbarg joins a cast headlined by Michael Fassbender as the tech giant, with Seth Rogen apparently still on board to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Stuhlbarg would play software designer Andy Hertzfeld, a key member of the team behind the original Mac. Danny Boyle is directing from a script by Aaron Sorkin that highlights three key product launches: the Mac, NeXT, and IPod. [Deadline]

Stefanie Scott may want to buy herself a planner because she just got a lot busier. Already set to star in Jem and the Holograms and Insidious: Chapter 3, Scott has now boarded two indie films. The first is Caught, which co-stars Pitch Perfect's Anna Camp and is based on a true story. Maggie Kiley directs the thriller about an unsuspecting mistress who is kidnapped by a housewife. Initially planned as a prank to teach the girl a lesson, events spin madly out of control. 

Scott will also join Graham Rogers, Sam Rockwell, Melanie Lynskey, Liana Liberato, and Billy Crudup in Life at these Speeds. The story follows a young man, Kevin (Rogers), who discovers that running helps him remember his recently deceased friend perfectly. Soon, he must choose between living in the past or present. The role of Kevin's deceased girlfriend will be played by Scott. [Deadline]

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Sony Hack Reveals Steve Jobs Biopic Madness as Natalie Portman Turns Down a Role

Remember that stench of doom we sensed around Jane Got a Gun earlier this year as it went through a brutal gauntlet of production issues? Well, that's how the forever-developing, troubled Steve Jobs biopic is starting to look. Penned by Aaron Sorkin and to be directed by Danny Boyle, the film was set up at Sony before they got nervous and dropped it, only for Universal to come to the rescue. When a project of this scope gets dumped there's always a bigger story behind it, and thanks to Sony getting hacked we know just how chaotic things were behind the scenes.

We're not going to post hacked emails or anything like that; leave that to the folks over at Gawker who posted a blistering series of conversations between widely despised producer Scott Rudin and Sony chief Amy Pascal. In them we see the bull-headed twosome fighting over everything, but it's Rudin who looks like a total donkey for ripping into Angelina Jolie, calling her a "minimally talented spoiled brat" amongst other scathing insults. What the heck does Jolie have to do with anything? You may recall she and David Fincher, who was originally supposed to direct Jobs, were going to do a massively-budgeted Cleopatra epic. That project never came together and Fincher bounced, but she apparently was still holding out hope earlier this year, only to have Sony dangle the Steve Jobs film in his face. Of course, that didn't work out for Sony, either. Ironically, Rudin refers to Jolie's massive ego but these emails reveal he needs to check himself in a major way.

Meanwhile, the Jobs film is bumping along over at Universal but still has some problems to iron out. Michael Fassbender is set (for now) to star as the tech giant with Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Recently Natalie Portman's (coincidentally of Jane Got a Gun!) name was mentioned for the female lead but now Variety says she's turned it down for unspecified reasons. Perhaps she sensed something was wrong, too? Sorkin could be bringing his The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels in to play Apple CEO John Sculley so maybe things aren't all bad. Then again, let's just wait and see if Fassbender makes the start date. If not, Universal could always turn to Tom Cruise, who was sought by Sony out of desperation.

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Natalie Portman in Talks to Join Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs Biopic

This is how quickly things can change for a Hollywood production, given that it has enough potential. The Danny Boyle-directed, Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic was dumped by Sony only days ago, and already it has a new studio at Universal and a confirmed star in Michael Fassbender. So what's next? How about another big name in Natalie Portman?

According to Deadline, Portman has entered negotiations to join the film, which is based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography. There's no word on her role but a couple of major female leads are yet to be filled, with Jessica Chastain said to be eying one of them. Steve Jobs' daughter is said to be a central character, and so is Joanna Hoffman, Apple's former head of marketing for the Mac. Portman hasn't appeared in a film this year, and only had Thor: The Dark World last year, so it's good to see her attached to a project this big. She does have a couple of Terrence Malick movies on the way, plus the troubled Western Jane Got a Gun.

Production on the film is set to begin in the winter, so expect more news to come soon.

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Universal Picks Up Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic; Michael Fassbender to Star

It wasn't expected to take long for Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs biopic to find a new home after Sony dropped it, and that's exactly how things turned out. THR reports that Universal, who were said to be considering the film, have secured the rights to the feature, plunking down a hefty $30M for it.

The story also says that Michael Fassbender is now "attached" to the role of Jobs, the Apple founder and tech giant who passed away in 2011. Leonardo DiCaprio was the first who had been on board to play Jobs back when David Fincher was still eying the project, followed by Christian Bale who dropped out only weeks ago. There's no mention of Seth Rogen who was said to be up for the role of Steve Wozniak, while Jessica Chastain was also up for a part possibly as Apple's head of marketing, Joanna Hoffman.

Production had been set for next winter and while nothing has been confirmed, Universal will probably try to stick to the schedule.

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Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs Biopic Dropped by Sony

Sometimes all the talent in the world can't get a promising project off the ground. Despite having Danny Boyle on board to direct from an Aaron Sorkin script, Sony has decided to drop their Steve Jobs biopic, putting the film in turnaround meaning another studio can grab it.

A lot of big names have circled the film for some time. David Fincher had been on board for awhile, with Leonardo DiCaprio eyed for the Jobs role. Most recently it was Christian Bale, confirmed by Boyle himself, until he too dropped out only to have Michael Fassbender's name emerge only days ago. At this point nobody is confirmed to play the Apple founder in a story that will chronicle three major product launches. 

A start date had been tentatively planned for next winter but that is obviously off the table until a new studio is found. Universal is said to be interested, but who knows how that will shake out. 

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Michael Fassbender Could Play Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle's 'Jobs'

A giant in the tech field like Steve Jobs deserves a giant of an actor playing him on the silver screen. So Ashton Kutcher didn't quite fit the bill in last year's Jobs, Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin have been aiming high for their film. First it was Leonardo DiCaprio eyed for the role, then it was Christian Bale until he exited last week, and now the latest name to emerge is Michael Fassbender.

Variety says Fassbender is in early talks for the role, and it looks like the previously-untitled film will also be called Jobs, which could get confusing. Fassbender would make for a left field choice to play Steve Jobs, but if Sony was looking for a big name then they're talking to the right guy. The film will be broken down into three 30-minute segments following Apple's Mac, NeXT, and IPod product launches.

Seth Rogen appears to be on board to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, while Jessica Chastain is also being sought for an unspecified role.

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Danny Boyle Needs a New Steve Jobs as Christian Bale Exits Biopic

Well, so much for that. Sony had been gearing up their Steve Jobs biopic with a cast that would have been mighty impressive with Christian Bale, Seth Rogen, and possibly Jessica Chastain on board. But now they're going to have to start looking elsewhere because Bale has decided to exit the film, and we aren't getting the ol' "creative differences" chestnut, either.

THR says Bale was having "conflicting feelings" about the role and ultimately decided he wasn't the right fit to play the Apple founder. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is said to follow three major Apple product launches, broken down into three 30-minute chapters for Danny Boyle to direct. So what now? Boyle is due to start meeting with other actors later this week so maybe there will some news soon. Although he was generally considered to be on board because Sorkin told us he was, Bale had yet to officially sign on the dotted line. Perhaps Sony will try again to convince Leonardo DiCaprio, who was the first up for the role, to reunite with Boyle who he worked with on The Beach?

Filming on the Steve Jobs film is to begin next winter. Bale will be seen next in Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings, and don't think he won't get harassed about this while on the press circuit.

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Seth Rogen to Play Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs Biopic; Jessica Chastain Sought for Role

While Steve Jobs is the first person who comes to mind when thinking of Apple, there were others who had a hand in the tech giant's formation. With Christian Bale set to play Jobs in Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's upcoming biopic, Seth Rogen is now on board to play his friend and Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.

Variety reports Rogen has signed on to play Wozniak, who has become something of a geek hero over the years. Josh Gad portrayed him in the Jobs film that released last year.  Also being eyed for an unspecified role is Jessica Chastain, although there are no details on how far into the process negotiations with her are.

No word on when filming begins but Bale, Rogen, possibly Chastain with a Sorkin script? Wow.

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Aaron Sorkin Confirms Christian Bale for Steve Jobs Biopic

So you didn't like the Ashton Kutcher-led Jobs from last year? The guy from Two and a Half Men didn't quite live up to playing Apple founder Steve Jobs? Personally, I thought he was actually pretty good at it, but there's still room for a much better performance in a much better movie. And it looks like we're going to get that with Aaron Sorkin confirming Christian Bale for Danny Boyle's biopic.

Just days go we learned Bale, who had been rumored for months, had entered talks for the uniquely-structured film. Now in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Sorkin certainly gives the impression that Bale has signed on, while also detailing why the actor was chosen.

Sorkin: “We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale. He didn’t have to audition. Well, there was a meeting.”

The screenplay breaks the story down into three 30-minute segments, covering the Mac, NeXt, and IPod product launches. But don't let that fool you into thinking Bale won't be plenty busy...

Sorkin:  “He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined. There isn’t a scene or a frame that he’s not in. So it’s an extremely difficult part and he is gonna crush it.”

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Christian Bale in Talks to Play Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle's Biopic

Christian Bale may not be the most obvious choice to play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, but his name was rumored some time ago back when David Fincher was looking to direct it. When Fincher exited and Danny Boyle took over, an ambitious wishlist of Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck emerged, but it looks like the job is Bale's if he wants it.

According to THR , Bale is now in talks for the untitled Steve Jobs biopic that features a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. This would be completely different from the other Jobs film from last year that starred Ashton Kutcher and was quickly forgotten. Sorkin's script is structured around three 30-minute "real time" segments following the product launches of the Mac, IPod, and NeXt.

Bale would be taking on Jobs next and setting aside any plans to star in The Deep Blue Good-By, James Mangold's detective film based on the Travis McGee mystery novels. Negotiations on that had hit a snag because Bale wasn't interested in doing any sequels, and the project is basically in limbo for the time being. Even a deal can be worked out he'll film Jobs first.

No word on when production will begin but it sounds like Sony wants to move fast on this one.

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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Eyed for Steve Jobs Biopic as Leonardo DiCaprio Exits

When David Fincher decided against directing Sony's anticipated Steve Jobs biopic the long-developing one penned by Aaron Sorkin, Danny Boyle emerged as his more than capable replacement. And with him came a rumor that he may be teaming with his star of The Beach, Leonardo DiCaprio, who was eying the role of the late Apple founder. But this wasn't long after DiCaprio claimed to be taking a break from acting after working at steadily for years without one. And it turns out DiCaprio will take that breather and won't star in the Steve Jobs film after all, but Sony already has their list of big names to take over.

According to THR, Sony's wishlist includes all of the names every studio wants for every project: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Bradley Cooper. Bale was the one Fincher really wanted for the film initially, so maybe that will give him an edge over the rest. Everybody on this list are pretty busy, though, and it's possible nobody has room to do it.

What this shows is that Sony really wants to get a top tier talent to play Jobs, perhaps so the film doesn't meet the same lukewarm fate of the Ashton Kutcher-led film from last year.

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Danny Boyle Takes Over Steve Jobs Biopic; Leonardo DiCaprio May Star

This is what one would call a lateral move. Just last week David Fincher exited the developing Steve Jobs biopic that would have reunited him with The Social Network screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin. All of this was over a salary dispute that just couldn't get ironed out, but Sony has managed to strike a deal with Danny Boyle to take over, and he may be bringing along an old friend.

According to THR, Boyle has signed on to direct the untitled Jobs film, and he's keen on re-teaming with Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time since 2000's The Beach. He's apparently approached DiCaprio to play the Apple founder, but at this time there are no deals in place. Fincher had wanted Christian Bale for the lead role but that doesn't seem to be in consideration any longer. This would be a very different biopic than the Ashton Kutcher-led version released last year. Sorkin plans to feature three 30-minute segments that highlight different achievement's in Jobs' career: the launch of the Mac, NeXT, and of course the IPod.

There's a potential hang-up, though, as DiCaprio is set to star in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant, the long-developing film that has been revived for a fall shoot.

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David Fincher Exits Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic

It all seemed like a perfect fit. David Fincher, reuniting with Sony and Aaron Sorkin for a biopic on the late Steve Jobs. It would be like The Social Network all over again, right? Well, maybe it would have, but now Fincher is out and any good feelings there were are out the window.

Fincher has dropped out of the Jobs biopic, with THR reporting that Sony declined the director's $10M upfront fee and demand for creative control. This isn't totally unexpected. Fincher entered talks officially for the film a couple of months ago, but there are still some bad feelings over how things went on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not only did the film underwhelm at the box office, but Fincher had to fight Sony to get what he wanted the entire time, and that includes convincing them to hire Rooney Mara for the lead role. After that struggle, it's no surprise he's making big demands, just as it's no surprise Sony is shooting them down.

A new director is being sought, and it doesn't look like Christian Bale, who was eyed for the Jobs role, is going to be involved either. The door is open for Fincher to return, but not at the cost he's asking for.

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David Fincher Wants Christian Bale for Steve Jobs Role

David Fincher hasn't officially signed on to direct the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic, but he already knows who he wants to play the Apple founder. The Wrap says Fincher is looking at Christian Bale for the role, and he may be willing to fight to get him.

According to the story, Fincher met with Sony to discuss taking on the gig and made it clear he won't do it unless Bale agrees to play Jobs. Fincher was a large reason why a mostly-unknown Rooney Mara got the lead part in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so he's more than willing to use his stroke to get what he wants.

There's no word at this point if Bale is even interested, so we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out. He's more than qualified to portray Jobs, that's for sure, and it's the kind of role that could send him back to the Oscar stage.

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David Fincher to Direct Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic

Remember when The Social Network seemed like a really far-fetched idea? Because, really, who in the world would want to see a movie about Facebook? Well, turns out a lot of people did, and a lot of people loved it, mostly due to the rapid-fire script by Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher's cool direction, with no small nod to Jesse Eisenberg in the lead role. And now Sorkin and Fincher are going teaming up again for the story of another big brain who revolutionized technology as we know it.

Fincher has come aboard to helm the untitled Steve Jobs biopic that Sorkin will adapt based on Walter Isaacson's book. Unlike the Ashton Kutcher-led Jobs (which he was pretty damn good in, btw), this film won't be a traditional biopic, with Sorkin revealing some time ago that it will be broken up into three 30-minute "real time" segments capturing major Apple product launches. To help make this happen, Apple co-found Steve Wozniak is consulting on the project.

So how will Fincher fit all of this into his busy schedule? Well, it helps that there won't be any sequels to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. THR seems confident there will be no follow-ups as originally intended. Fincher has only just finished wrapping on Gone Girl, and will work with Gillian Flynn again on the HBO series, Utopia. His involvement in Netflix's House of Cards will remain as an exec-producer going into season three. 

Now the search begins to find someone who can embody Jobs' brilliance, charisma, and stand-offish demeanor. 

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Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs biopic to be three 30-minute scenes

You'd expect that the guy who made a "Facebook movie" one of the great cultural experiences of 2010 would also have a unique angle from which to tackle a film on Apple founder Steve Jobs. And you'd be right. Although the film doesn't have a director yet, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has been chatting up the gutsy approach from which he'll tackle Jobs' life.

While talking to The Daily Beast during their Hero Conference, Sorkin revealed the film will be structured around three 30-minute segments done in real time, with each taking place prior to a major product launch.

Sorkin: "[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."

Sorkin also revealed hopes of ending the film with Jobs' "Think Different' ad campaign, as a final coda to the man's legendary vision. I think this is a great idea, and a novel avenue from which to explore Jobs' career, which is basically defined by those three product launches. Hopefully we'll start hearing some word on a production start and potential casting.

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Josh Gad to play Steve Wozniak in 'Jobs' opposite Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher in a movie called Jobs? No, it's not a workplace comedy spunoff from his hit Two and a Half Men. It's actually a biopic on Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, with Kutcher in the title role. Seriously. It's not as crazy as it sounds. With production set to begin next month, Book of Mormon star Josh Gad has come aboard to play Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.

Wozniak has been portrayed in film before, by Joseph Slotnick in 1999's Pirates of Silicon Valley. It's a good flick, with Noah Wyle as Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates. This version is written by newcomer Matt Whiteley, and directed by Swing Vote's Joshua Michael Stevens. The story will follow Jobs' early career and the founding of Apple, so Gad should have a pretty meaty role here. Gad's success on Book of Mormon appears to be working wonders for his film career, as he's also set to star opposite James Franco in the pick-up artist film, The Game.

Last I heard, Aaron Sorkin was being eyed to pen a Steve Jobs biopic for Sony, but it's been pretty quiet on that front for awhile. [Variety]

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