Time for a hard reboot on Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs biopic. A few weeks after reporting that Christian Bale had agreed to play the late Apple co-founder in an upcoming drama, the American Hustle star reportedly has pulled the plug on his involvement, leaving Boyle and his crew scrambling to find a new Jobs before production ramps up.
THR has the story, saying that Bale "came to the conclusion he was not right for the part and decided to withdraw" after much deliberation and internal struggling. Christian Bale isn’t the biggest star in the world, but he’s certainly at a point where he can take his pick of prestige projects. He’s coming off of an Oscar nomination earlier this year for American Hustle. Before that, he notched an Oscar win for The Fighter, also with David O. Russell.
What I’m trying to say is that Christian Bale isn’t a flake who picks up and drops films at random. If he truly believes he’s wrong for the part, I can understand him passing on it. Danny Boyle’s biopic of Steve Jobs is an ambitious endeavor, a feature pulled from an Aaron Sorkin screenplay that reportedly is going to be divided into three acts. Each one will be contained to one scene, each taking place behind the curtain at one of Apple’s infamous product launches. Who can forget this iconic moment back in 2007?
It’s a novel approach to a normally dry genre, and if Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle find a way to crack it, that unique structure could make the Steve Jobs biopic something truly special. Of course, having Christian Bale in the lead helped, and now everything seems to be in a state of limbo. There were reports that Seth Rogen was going to be up for the supporting role (but pivotal role) of Steve Wozniak. No offer has been made, though, and this could put that casting decision on hold.
Oddly enough, Christian Bale isn’t the first A-lister to bail on the Steve Jobs biopic. Earlier, Leonardo DiCaprio came close to reuniting with his The Beach collaborator for this movie. But he claims he is taking a break from acting. Could this roster switch lure DiCaprio back into the fold?
If not, you know who is sitting by the phone, right?
We’ll keep you posted on the latest Steve Jobs news as it develops.
