It’s now becoming harder and harder to keep track of Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs biopic. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale have pulled out of playing the titular character and now Aaron Sorkin has teased that the biopic will actually be as much about Steve Jobs’ daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, as much as it will revolve around the Apple Icon.
Aaron Sorkin had previously revealed that whoever takes the lead role in his Steve Jobs film would star in every single frame, but that now only seems more interesting following recent remarks the writer made during an interview with The Independent. He has revealed that he was actually drawn to writing a film about Steve Jobs because of the entrepreneur’s relationship with his daughter. This was despite the fact that she wasn't interviewed for Walter Isaacson 2011 book, Steve Jobs, which was a big influence on the screenplay. Said Sorkin, while comparing the Steve Jobs biopic to the script for The Social Network,
"Both films are much more about the people than the technology they invented. With The Social Network, I was interested in the psychology of the world’s most successful social networking system being invented by the world’s most anti-social guy. And in the case of Steve Jobs, it’s the relationships he had – particularly with his daughter, Lisa – that drew me to it. She didn’t participate in Walter Isaacson’s book, because her father was alive at the time, and she didn’t want to alienate either of her parents, so I was very grateful that she was willing to spend time with me. She is the heroine of the movie."
The fact that Aaron Sorkin has labelled Lisa Brennan-Jobs as the "heroine" of the hugely anticipated film suggests that she will play a pivotal part in the plot. But the most interesting aspect of this revelation is that her addition to the narrative means that the film will deviate from Isaacson’s book and should help to shine a new light on Jobs as a human being. Aaron Sorkin also added in the recent interview, "It’s a 181-page script, about 100 of it is that one character." The Hollywood Reporter has reported that those involved in the movie are currently looking at actresses for the part. And to guard the script from being leaked, they are actually using scenes from the second season of The Newsroom for the audition process.
It sounds possible that several highly acclaimed and award-winning actors have found themselves intimidated not only by the chance to play Steve Jobs, but by Aaron Sorkin’s unique approach to the film too. Michael Fassbender is believed to be the top choice for the protagonist in the biopic now, but he was only pursued after Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale decided to pass. Meanwhile, Danny Boyle will direct the film, but even his addition to the project was only confirmed after David Fincher’s demands were deemed too steep by the studio. Aaron Sorkin has insisted that an "announcement is imminent" for casting. And when it comes, the film should finally be able o leave behind this pre-production mire and then get down to the nitty-gritty of delivering a rousing, thought-provoking and entertaining cinematic look at Steve Jobs.
