Ashton Kutcher’s film credits, up to this point, include Killers, Spread, What Happens in Vegas and Dude, Where’s My Car? The suggestion that he had what it takes to play Apple genius Steve Jobs in a planned biopic was … well, I won’t go so far as to say “ludicrous,” but I did believe the film’s producers could have made a better choice. A new interview with the forces behind the feature does little to sway my opinion back toward a favorable side.
Speaking with Neowin.net, producer Mark Hulme spoke at length about the movie he’s financing, explaining the film’s purpose and attempting to clarify why they thought Kutcher was the right choice to play Jobs on screen.
"Since our film covers the early years of Apple, when Jobs was in his 20's, we needed an actor who could carry not only the youthfulness of Jobs at the time but also the psychological complexity. Because of that, and Ashton's physical similarities to Jobs, he's perfect for our film. … When Ashton read the script he was immediately attracted to the project. He is a Steve Jobs and Apple fan, and is technologically savvy, as well, so he recognized the historical importance of Steve Jobs and the potential of the project. He is very excited to have the role."
Yes, Kutcher Tweets a lot. And maybe he uses an iPad or iPhone to do so. But so do you, and so do I. Does that mean that we are “technologically savvy” enough to play Jobs in a high-profile biopic?
The interview reveals more interesting tidbits about the planned project. Hulme says they’d like to have it in theaters in the fourth quarter of 2012 (which means they should be shooting right now), and that it’s still seeking distribution. The movie will film in Los Angeles, and has no formal association with Apple at this point. Hulme also commented on Sony’s rival project, which will film Walter Isaacson’s Jobs biography.
“Sony is a highly respected company, and Isaacson's book is a great read,” Hulme said. “But our project was in development even before the release of Isaacson's book and our movie will be out well before their movie.”
In other words, it’s on, and may the best Jobs win.
