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Tag: Aaron Sorkin

  • Steve Jobs Box Office Numbers Disappoint

    Steve Jobs Box Office Numbers Disappoint

    Steve Jobs, the new film from writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) disappointed at the box office during its wide release opening weekend.

    Things were looking good for the film’s potential for profitability when its release was limited to a small number of screens, but it appears that the wider audience just doesn’t care that much, and it looks like it’s going to be a flop.

    The film cost $30 million to make. When it played in only a handful of theaters, it reportedly took in $2.5 million, which was really good on a per screen basis. Unfortunately, when it opened up to nearly 2,500 theaters, it only took in $7.3 million.

    There are likely a variety of factors that came into play, and it would be disingenuous to discount the fact that audiences have already seen a Steve Jobs movie released in recent years. Jobs, which starred Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad was released in 2013, and has been on Netflix for some time.

    Brent Lang, senior film and media reporter at Hollywood industry publication Variety asks what went wrong and opines:

    Looking back, it’s difficult to see how “Steve Jobs” could overcome the commercial headwinds it faced. Because of its Silicon Valley subject matter and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s involvement, the film has been compared to the Facebook drama “The Social Network.” That film managed to turn critical raves for Sorkin’s cutting dialogue into big box office and a $22.4 million opening. But the comparisons are faulty. “The Social Network” benefited from arriving just as Facebook was becoming ubiquitous. In 2010, it opened as everyone was discovering the thrill of over-sharing vacation pictures and political screeds. Even as it hit the zeitgeist, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg remained largely unknown to the general public. The story of the social media platform’s litigious origins had the shock of new.
     
    In contrast, Jobs, his genius for design and demanding personality, have all been thoroughly picked over. There’s the Walter Isaacson biography that formed the basis for the Sorkin picture, the Kutcher biopic, and endless profiles and think pieces. Steve Jobs is many things, but he is not an unknown commodity.

    Steve Jobs took 7th place in the weekend box office behind: The Martian (in its 4th week), Goosebumps (in its 2nd week), Bridge of Spies (in its second week), The Last Witch Hunter (in its first week), Hotel Transylvania 2 (in its fifth week), and Paranormal Activity (in its first week).

    The movie did manage to beat out Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak in its second week. Technically Steve Jobs was in its third week following its first two weeks of limited release.

    According to Box Office Mojo, the film has so far grossed less than $10 million.

    Image via YouTube

  • Olivia Munn Defends Aaron Sorkin

    First, Aaron Sorkin went public defending the penultimate episode Oh Shenandoah of The Newsroom that aired on December 7th. Now actress Olivia Munn, who plays Sloan Sabbith on the HBO drama, is also defending the controversial episode that features a storyline containing college campus rape.

    Munn went on EW Morning Live today to discuss the negative reactions that have been swirling around Sunday’s show. In the episode, ACN producer Don Keefer visits a Princeton University student, who was allegedly raped at a party, in an attempt to convince her not appear on his newscast. During their conversation, Keefer also points out all the potentially negative effects that come with the website that she created that allows other victims of rape to post their stories with anonymity.

    After the episode aired, Alena Smith a writer for the show, went public via Twitter with her issues concerning the episode’s content. Smith also tweeted that she was thrown out of the writer’s room for sharing her opinion on the matter.

    Sorkin conveyed his disappointment with Smith’s tweet in a statement:

    So I was surprised to be told this morning that Alena had tweeted out her unhappiness with the story. But I was even more surprised that she had so casually violated the most important rule of working in a writers room which is confidentiality. It was a room in which people felt safe enough to discuss private and intimate details of their lives in the hope of bringing dimension to stories that were being pitched. That’s what happens in writers rooms and while ours was the first one Alena ever worked in, the importance of privacy was made clear to everyone on our first day of work and was reinforced constantly. I’m saddened that she’s broken that trust.

    Munn agrees with Sorkin regarding Smith. “It should have been more poignant and more interesting, and not about her,” Munn said.

    The actress also defended Sorkin’s decision on how to write about such a hotly debated topic. “The reality is that Sorkin writes things so that they can be talked about, and so we show both sides of it,” she said. “I think it was important to show what it’s like for women to be a rape victim, want to speak out, and then have somebody come in and say, ‘Hey don’t do that. That’s going to be bad for you.’”

    The Newsroom will air its series finale next Sunday, December 14 after three seasons on HBO.

  • Natalie Portman in Talks to Star in Steve Jobs Biopic

    Natalie Portman is reportedly in talks to star in the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs.

    According to Deadline, Portman may have a major role in the film that is struggling to get off the ground.

    Sony dropped its backing for the project completely last week, and it was picked up by Universal.

    The screenplay was written by The Social Network‘s Aaron Sorkin and Slumdog Millionaire‘s Danny Boyle is set to direct the movie based on Walter Isaacson’s 2001 Steve Jobs biography.

    Reports claim Michael Fassbender is set to star as Jobs, replacing Christian Bale, and producers were reportedly reaching out to Scarlett Johansson, although it looks like the role may now go to Portman. Seth Rogen is also reported to be the choice for the part of Steve Wozniak.

    Portman, who won an Academy Award for her role in Black Swan, is currently in post-production on her directional debut, A Tale Of Love And Darkness. The movie, in which she will also star, is an adaptation of Israeli writer Amos Oz’s memoir. She is also co-producing Burr Steers’ Pride And Prejudice And Zombies and is starring in two upcoming Terrence Malick films.

    Busy girl!

  • Olivia Munn Offers Relationship Advice

    Olivia Munn Offers Relationship Advice

    Former G4 Network Attack of the Show! co-host Olivia Munn revealed to E! News how she makes her relationship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers work, during the final season premiere event of her hit HBO show The Newsroom.

    While discussing the difficulties that arise while juggling busy schedules against a budding dalliance at a red carpet event held at the Directors Guild of America Theater, Munn commented, “You just end up making those concessions.” The Iron Man 2 actress added, “You make decisions because it can’t all be work and it can’t all be your personal life, especially when you’ve worked so hard to have a career.”

    On the Golden Globe-nominated political drama The Newsroom, Munn plays Sloan Sabbith, a socially inept double PhD economist.

    Here is a clip of Munn making nerds look good, on the Aaron Sorkin-helmed series:

    Regarding her and Rodgers’ hectic schedules, Munn remarked, “There’s a lot of traveling, a lot of driving, and then you’re just really happy with the decisions that you make. And for me, it comes at a time in my life when I end up having to say no to some work because I gotta be somewhere else.”

    “It doesn’t make me sad or anything, because I want my life to be full and have all those experiences, so you kind of figure it out as you go,” the actress added.

    At the Tuesday event, Munn wore a “special ring” that Rodgers had given her after six months of dating. The actress commented, “This is a gift from my boyfriend, actually. I wore this for a premiere, and he had heard me talking to my stylist about being obsessed with it. It is such a special ring, and then he surprised me.”

    “It’s not that kind of ring, by the way. It’s not the special ring. I mean, it’s a very special ring, but it is not the special ring,” she said.

  • Christian Bale Reportedly NOT Playing Steve Jobs (Again)

    Christian Bale will not be playing Steve Jobs in an upcoming biopic from Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin, according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter.

    Sorkin, who based the screenplay on Walter Isaac Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography, recently confirmed to Bloomberg that Bale would be taking on the role, saying he “couldn’t be more excited about him,” and that he’s a “phenomenal actor.”

    But that was then and this is now. THR reports:

    Sources say Bale, after much deliberation and conflicting feelings, came to the conclusion he was not right for the part and decided to withdraw.

    Bale’s name has been mentioned with this film for quite some time as has Leonardo DiCaprio’s. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Bradley Cooper have also been brought up at one time or another. Recent reports have Seth Rogen as a possibility for Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

    Either way, you can’t have a Steve Jobs movie without a Steve Jobs, so I guess you’ll be waiting a bit more on this one. In the meantime, feel free to head over to Netflix and watch Ashton Kutcher pretend to be Jobs. After that, you can decide for yourself if you want to see this story told again on screen.

    Or you could, you know, just read the book.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Christian Bale Will Play Steve Jobs, Sorkin Says He’ll ‘Crush It’

    Christian Bale will be your next film Steve Jobs.

    Aaron Sorkin, screenwriter of the upcoming biopic based on Walter Isaacson’s 2011 biography Steve Jobs, confirmed to Bloomberg that the Dark Knight actor will be taking on the role of the late Apple co-founder.

    “I couldn’t be more excited about him,” said Sorkin. “He really is a phenomenal actor.”

    Sorkin also said that Bale didn’t really have to audition for the role, but there was a meeting.

    “The role is an extremely difficult role. He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined. There isn’t a scene – or frame – that he’s not in, and there’s a tremendous amount of language.

    “It’s an extremely difficult part and he’s gonna crush it.”

    Bale’s name was rumored months ago, and then it faded as the Leonardo DiCaprio rumor train took off. Just last week, Bale was once again thrown back into the rumor mix, alongside names like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Bradley Cooper.

    As far as directing goes, that job falls on Danny Boyle after David Fincher dropped out of contention.

    Production on the still-untitled film will kick of in the next couple of months. Sorkin actually finished the script back in January.

    Do you think Bale is going to ‘crush it’? I bet Bale thinks he’s going to crush it.

  • David Fincher Reportedly Wants Too Much for Steve Jobs Biopic

    Too much money, and too much control.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Fincher and Sony Pictures have come to an impasse in negotiations over the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic. THR quotes sources who say that Sony Pictures is now looking to replace Fincher as director “due to his aggressive demands for compensation and control.”

    More specifically, Fincher reportedly wants $10 million up front and is demanding marketing control over the film. Apparently, the studio thinks this is “ridiculous.”

    A little history on this Steve Jobs movie–

    About the time that we learned that Ashton Kutcher would be playing Jobs in an indie biopic, we heard that another Jobs biopic was coming to the big screen–one based on the best-selling biography by Walter Isaacson. Rumor had it that The Social Network screenwriter Aaron Sorkin would write the script. This was all in 2011, and Sony Pictures didn’t confirm Aaron Sorkin as the official screenwriter until a year later.

    Nearly two years later, in January of 2014, Sorkin turned in his script for the movie.

    March brought reports that David Fincher was in talks to direct the film. Of course, the The Social Network featured the powerful duo of Fincher and Sorkin as director and screenwriter, respectively. So this all made sense.

    Speaking of demands for control, The Wrap recently reported that Fincher gave the studio a Bale or nothing ultimatum-basically saying that he would only direct the project if Sony would cast Christian Bale in the lead role.

    Bale was never and still isn’t officially or unofficially attached to anything, however.

    Both THR and Mashable note that Fincher could still be in the running for the job, if either side changes their tune a bit–but it certainly appears that the relationship is strained. What’s good for both parties involved is that everything was still in the negotiating phase–nothing had been set in stone.

    And what’s good for us is that this frees up Fincher to do something more interesting than this Steve Jobs biopic.

    Fincher’s latest film is Gone Girl, an adaptation of an incredibly popular novel by Gillian Flynn. It stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris–and it set to release on October 3rd. The first trailer just dropped last night:

  • Christian Bale Wanted For Steve Jobs Film

    Christian Bale Wanted For Steve Jobs Film

    Christian Bale has proven over the years that he is completely devoted to his craft; as an actor willing to lose a substantial amount of weight in order to give audiences maximum impact in the film “The Machinist” and turn himself into an overweight, balding con artist for “American Hustle”, his talent is sought out by directors who want his enthusiasm and devotion. That may be why, when Aaron Sorkin finished his untitled biopic about Steve Jobs, director David Fincher decided he couldn’t do it without Bale.

    Although Bale hasn’t responded to the offer yet, Fincher says he can’t think of another actor he’d want for the role. The film will focus largely on the launching of Mac, NeXT, and the iPod, and the script is based on Walter Isaacson’s biography, which included interviews with Jobs as well as friends and family.

    Bale has reportedly taken a break between jobs after finishing up Ridley Scott’s “Exodus”, in which he plays Moses. The Wrap is predicting a start date in early 2015 so that all parties involved can take this fall for promoting their current projects.

    Steve Jobs has been the subject of quite a bit of fascination in recent years, and his life has already spawned a biopic starring Ashton Kutcher that grossed just $35 million. Sorkin and Fincher, who teamed up for “The Social Network”, may have a different perspective, however, and there is active interest in a new movie.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • David Fincher Reportedly Wants Christian Bale (and Only Christian Bale) to Play Steve Jobs

    In a turn of unbaleievable news coming out of the long-awaited Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs biopic saga, it appears that David Fincher is holding out for Christian Bale for his lead.

    According to The Wrap, who quotes an individual familiar with the project (as opposed to unfamiliar), David Fincher says he will only direct the upcoming film if Christian Bale is cast as Steve Jobs.

    Let’s back up for a sec.

    About the time that we learned that Ashton Kutcher would be portraying the late Apple co-founder in a biopic, we learned that another Jobs biopic was in the works–one based on the best-selling biography by Walter Isaacson. Rumor had it that The Social Network screenwriter Aaron Sorkin would pen the script. This all happened back in 2011, but Sony Pictures didn’t confirm Aaron Sorkin as the official screenwriter until later, in 2012.

    Sorkin famously stated that whoever wound up playing Steve Jobs would need to be intelligent.

    In January, Sorkin finally turned in his script for the movie.

    Then, last month, reports emerged that David Fincher was in talks to direct the film. Of course, The Social Network came out of the pairing of Fincher and Sorkin.

    Now, if this report is accurate, Fincher wants Bale–and only Bale.

    Let’s see, what else do we know about this film? Sorkin once hinted that the film would be divided up into three 30-minute scenes, each taking place backstage before some big Apple product launch. We assume flashbacks would be involved. If this were the case, it would have a very Social Network-y feel. Sorkin wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pretty well, so I trust he could do the same to Steve Jobs. Both are relatively complex characters. Bale could work–I see the resemblance. Apparently, Bale hasn’t even been approached and the film isn’t going to start production until early next year–so you’ll have to wait some time to possibly see Batman play The Riddler.

    I say bring on the Bale. He’s the Steve Jobs Gotham deserves, and the one it needs right now.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • David Fincher Reportedly In Talks To Direct Steve Jobs Movie [Updated]

    Update: The Hollywood Reporter now says Fincher is off the project.

    The writer/director team behind Mark Zuckerberg movie The Social Network might just be teaming up again for the next Steve Jobs movie.

    Writer Aaron Sorkin has been attached to the project for about two years, but now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that director David Fincher is in talks to direct the film, which is based on the bestselling Walter Isaacson biography.

    Last month, we learned that Sorkin had turned in his script for the film to Sony.

    The last time Sorkin and Fincher collaborated on a film about a tech company founder, it resulted in three Oscars and five additional nominations. Since then, Sorkin and Fincher have both contributed to noteworthy TV shows – HBO’s The Newsroom and Netflix’s House of Cards respectively. Additionally, Sorkin wrote Moneyball, and Fincher directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl, which is in post-production.

    Sorkin has indicated in the past that the structure of the Steve Jobs film would be divided up into three 30-minute scenes, each taking place backstage before one of Apple’s big product launches.

    Like the Steve Jobs film, The Social Network was based on a nonfiction book, but Zuckerberg called the film “‘fiction”.

    “I just think people have a lot of fiction,” he said. “But, you know, I mean, the real story of Facebook is just that we’ve worked so hard for all this time. I mean, the real story is actually probably pretty boring, right? I mean, we just sat at our computers for six years and coded.”

    Obviously Jobs won’t be able to defend himself for how he’s portrayed in the movie like Zuckerberg was, though Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has not been shy about expressing his opinion of the previously released Jobs film.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs Film Is Now Scripted

    First he brought the story of Facebook to the big screen. Next, he’s bringing the story of Apple. Aaron Sorkin, screenwriter of The Social Network, has reportedly turned in his script for an upcoming movie about Steve Jobs to Sony.

    Variety reported the news accompanying that of the third and final season of Sorkin’s HBO show The Newsroom.

    Sony’s interest in Sorkin for the project, based on the bestselling bio penned by Walter Isaacson, first became public in 2011, before an official announcement was made in 2012.

    As the year progressed, Sorkin shared some hints about the direction he planned to take. For example, he said that whoever plays Steve Jobs would need to be intelligent. Josh Wolford recapped some of what Sorkin said at the D10 conference back then:

    Sorkin acknowledged that biopics are oftentimes difficult to write, simply because the structure of the film is almost already written. We can expect his script to sway from the traditional “cradle-to-grave structure” of many biopics. Instead, he said that he was “going to identify the point of friction that appeals to me and dramatize that.” Of course, we could rattle off a few notable “points of friction” rather quickly, so it’s unclear what Sorkin will choose to focus on. We know that the “competing” Steve Jobs biopic (the indie one starring Ashton Kutcher) will focus heavily on Jobs’ early years.

    Adding another layer of difficulty to the development of the script is Jobs’ iconic presence. Sorkin likened it to writing about The Beatles, in that so many people have so many strong opinions about Jobs that it will be hard to navigate what he called a “minefield of disappointment.”

    Later in the year, Sorkin hinted at the film’s structure, saying it would be divided up into three 30-minute scenes, each taking place backstage before one of the company’s big product launches.

    Now that the script is in Sony’s hands, perhaps we’ll soon learn more about other names to be attached. We’re certainly eager to see who will direct, and who will play Jobs. While reviews for Jobs, the other Jobs biopic, which came out last year, got mixed reviews, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping the Ashton Kutcher casting strictly in terms of appearance.

    Apple enthusiasts will almost certainly be more drawn to Sorkin’s film, as co-founder Steve Wozniak was hired as a “tutor” for the film. Wozniak was highly critical of the first film.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Olivia Munn: Not So Bad After All

    Olivia Munn: Not So Bad After All

    Just in case you were wondering, Olivia Munn is not a pill on-set, despite the rumors.

    The Magic Mike actress has scoffed at the recent whispers stating that she has a “know-it-all attitude” and is “overstepping” her boundaries on her most recent gig, The Newsroom. And so has its creator Aaron Sorkin.

    “The story bears no resemblance to reality,” stated Sorkin in a report. “Olivia is a perfect cast member who is loved and respected by the entire cast, by the crew and the producers, by HBO, and especially by me.”

    This is a far cry from what the scathing report stated, including that Munn was acting more like Sorkin’s co-writer instead of an actress, and was even causing waves with the show’s star, Jeff Daniels.

    “Olivia and Aaron’s relationship soured so completely during season two of  The Newsroom that it created a poisonous atmosphere on the set,” said the source.

    Like most celebs, Munn took to Twitter to defend herself:

    Some are wondering if this recent gossip is just a ploy to create a buzz for the upcoming season three of the show. As you may recall, it ended quite a while ago, and perhaps this is a way to get people thinking of the show again. Featuring some seriously zany story lines, such as a doll coming to life, an elderly witch, and an orangutan nurse, such a twist wouldn’t be that unheard of.

    Munn has been on the show since 2012, and plays Sloan Sabbith, a socially awkward senior financial reporter for News Night.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • jOBS, the Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs One, Gets April Release Date

    After screening as the closing night selection at Sundance, the Ashton Kutcher vehicle jOBS will open to the public some time in April.

    At least that’s the target according to makers Five Star Feature Films. They’ve also announced a distribution partner.

    Open Road Films, an independent distribution company founded in 2011, will get the honors of releasing the new film. Open Road is the product of a partnership between AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Group. They’re the distributors behind The Grey, End of Watch, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, Killer Elite, and the upcoming adaptation of The Host.

    “We set out to find the perfect partners to present jOBS to audiences worldwide, and we feel we have found one with Open Road. They were as impressed as we were with Ashton Kutcher’s inspiring and unforgettable performance as Steve Jobs and are excited to distribute the picture in the U.S,” said Five Star Feature Films’ Mark Hulme.

    Here’s what they have to say about the structure of the film:

    jOBS details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs on a daily basis from 1971 through 2000. jOBS plunges into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs’ life. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access during shooting to the historic garage in Palo Alto, that served as the birthplace to Apple Inc.

    jOBS stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, as well as Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons and Matthew Modine. It’s helmed by Joshua Michael Stern, who brought you the 2008 political comedy Swing Vote. As you may know, there’s another Steve Jobs biopic in the pipeline. It’s a Sony production and is based on the Walter Isaacson bestseller Steve Jobs. Some guy named Aaron Sorkin is penning that screenplay.

  • Aaron Sorkin Reveals the Structure of the Steve Jobs Biopic

    Back in May we learned that Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, The Newsroom and screenwriter of The Social Network would be the one to pen Sony Pictures’ Steve Jobs biopic, based (closely or loosely, we’re not sure) on Walter Isaacson’s bestseller Steve Jobs. And ever since, we’ve been filling in the puzzle with pieces directly from Sorkin himself, whenever he decides to speak about the upcoming project.

    Today, we learn another interesting detail about the upcoming film. Speaking at Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s Hero Summit, Sorkin tipped the exact structure of the film. Apparently, it will be divided up into three 30-minute scenes, each taking place backstage before one of Apple’s famous product launches.

    From The Daily Beast’s Twitter account:

    A couple of things: First, that would suggest that the film is only going to be about 90-minutes long. Second, it looks like we’re in for a flashback-heavy movie it appears that the film will take place in real time.

    Sorkin has previously said that his film was going to stray from the traditional “cradle-to-grave” structure of most biopics and he was instead “going to identify the point of friction that appeals to [him] and dramatize that.”

    He also knows that writing a biopic about a figure as iconic as Jobs has its pitfalls. He previously likened it to writing about The Beatles, saying that so many people already have strong opinions about Jobs, he has to be careful to navigate the “minefield of disappointment.”

  • Aaron Sorkin Isn’t Too Smart (Or So He Says)

    Aaron Sorkin Isn’t Too Smart (Or So He Says)

    Aaron Sorkin is well known for writing thinking-man’s scripts, complete with wit and sarcasm but with underlying themes that mean you have to pay attention to what’s going on. His dialogue is punchy and fast, often timed so that the viewer barely has a moment to register what they’ve just heard before moving on to the response. Take the opening scenes in “The Social Network”, for instance; the back-and-forth between Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara at the campus pub left many viewers scrambling to keep up, yet when it was over one couldn’t help but feel like they had just witnessed a very intelligent dialogue that set the tone for the entire movie. Sorkin is good at that; he gets in your head.

    But while some are intimidated by his writing, Sorkin says there’s no reason to be. He reckons he’s no smarter than the average guy and wants everyone to give his work a chance.

    “I’m 100 percent incapable of writing something that is too smart for anybody,” Sorkin said. “All of my teachers in high school can back me up on that.”

    His latest project, “The Newsroom”, may seem a little daunting to some, but he insists it’s nothing to be scared of. The show premiered last night on HBO and is garnering comparisons to another little show he penned, “The West Wing”. With Jeff Daniels at the helm, portraying troubled anchorman Will McAvoy, Sorkin is sure the show will speak to a large audience.

    “I wanted Jeff to play the part and I can’t imagine anyone else playing it,” Sorkin said. “We did a screening this past Monday night in New York for a theater full of news people and the actual anchors told Jeff that he could get in the chair on Monday. That he’s ready.”

     

     

  • Aaron Sorkin: Whoever Plays Steve Jobs Needs To Be Intelligent

    Earlier this month, we received confirmation on the rumor that Aaron Sorkin would be the man to adapt the screenplay for the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic. The film, slated for release in 2014, will be based on Walter Isaacson’s bestselling biography Steve Jobs. I’m sure most people feel Sorkin is up to the task, if not the perfect man for the job. I mean, the last time he wrote a screenplay based on a book about a tech giant it turned out alright.

    Today, at the D10 conference, Sorkin talked about his writing process, specifically the details of tackling an iconic figure like Jobs. He gave us a few hints about the structure of the film and also talked about how he expects the lead role to be cast.

    Sorkin acknowledged that biopics are oftentimes difficult to write, simply because the structure of the film is almost already written. We can expect his script to sway from the traditional “cradle-to-grave structure” of many biopics. Instead, he said that he was “going to identify the point of friction that appeals to me and dramatize that.” Of course, we could rattle off a few notable “points of friction” rather quickly, so it’s unclear what Sorkin will choose to focus on. We know that the “competing” Steve Jobs biopic (the indie one starring Ashton Kutcher) will focus heavily on Jobs’ early years.

    Adding another layer of difficulty to the development of the script is Jobs’ iconic presence. Sorkin likened it to writing about The Beatles, in that so many people have so many strong opinions about Jobs that it will be hard to navigate what he called a “minefield of disappointment.”

    The screenplay is an important (many would argue the most important) ingredient to making the film viable, but casting of the lead role is also a huge decision. Sorkin didn’t give any inside information on any actors in the running, but he did say that whoever play Jobs will “have to be a very good actor.” He went on to say that he’ll have to be smart, because you can’t fake smart.

    Whoever is chosen for Sorkin’s Jobs film will have a hard time beating the choice of Ashton Kutcher for the indie film in terms of physical resemblance. Kutcher is nearly a spot-on match for a young Steve Jobs. Some on the interwebs have wondered if Kutcher’s acting chops are strong enough for the part, however.

    We’re pretty confident leaving the screenwriting task in Sorkin’s hands, albeit curious about the direction he’ll take the Jobs character. With Sorkin at the helm, we’re hoping that a complicated man like Jobs is treated with the nuance that the story demands.

    [Via All Things D]

  • The Social Network’s Aaron Sorkin to Adapt Steve Jobs Biopic

    Aaron Sorkin will be writing a screenplay for a Sony Picture’s biopic about Steve Jobs based on Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs. The studio made the announcement Tuesday.

    This is not the indie film we have been talking about on webpronews, featuring Ashton Kutcher in the lead role, and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak. (Both are impressive dopplegangers of their Apple counterparts.)

    Unlike its indie counterpart, this version has major studio funding ( in Sony Pictures) and Author backing. This is one of those rare instances where we are going to see direct competition in studio and indie film productions. It will be interesting to see how these two approaches tackle the subject. At first glance you might assume that the indie film will be more emotionally charged, with the Sony Pictures version concentrating on the business life of Jobs. But Sorkin is known for driving story through emotionally charged dialog, so this one is up in the air.

    My guess is that the indie version will be more introspective, while Sorkin’s version will depict Jobs friendships and clashes on his way to making Apple what it is today.

    Alright, back to the Sorkin version. First a quick rundown of Sorkin’s screenplay and teleplay credentials (A Few Good Men, Malice, The American President, The Social Network, Moneyball, and the upcoming HBO series The Newsroom)). Impressive stuff, but Sorkin isn’t anywhere close to slowing down. Right now he is writing two screenplay adaptations, screenplays for The Newsroom, and making his Broadway librettist debut and motion picture directorial debut.

    Sorkin won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Social Network. He has also acquired the motion picture rights to The Politician, by Andrew Young about the downfall of former Senator John Edwards. He will adapt the book for screen, make his directorial debut with the film, and produce. He is currently in production on the HBO series The Newsroom, which is scheduled to premiere on June 24, 2012. Sorkin will also return to the theater and make his Broadway debut as a librettist with the 2013-2014 production of Houdini. Based on the life of legendary magician Harry Houdini, the musical will star Hugh Jackman and will feature music and lyrics by 3 time Oscar and 4 time Grammy winner Stephen Schwartz.

    [Source: MCN]]

  • The Steve Jobs Movie Could Be An Aaron Sorkin Project

    On Monday, the much-anticipated Steve Jobs biography, the simply titled Steve Jobs, hit the bookshelves. As was expected, it’s been a hit so far and has rocketed up to the top spot on Amazon’s bestseller list. The interview with author Walter Isaacson that aired on 60 Minutes Sunday night grabbed impressive ratings, and the video of that interview was one of the most sought-after items on the web yesterday.

    The point of all that is to say that people are incredibly interested in an in-depth, candid look at a man that led a life of relative privacy. And if you go by the early reviews (most of which are quite good), it looks like Isaacson delivers on that promise.

    The fascination that people have with Steve Jobs since his death has not been lost on Sony Pictures, who have made a play for the rights to the book.

    And according to the LA Times, Sony really wants Aaron Sorkin to pen the screenplay.

    They say Sorkin is being courted by Sony to throw his pen behind the upcoming biopic, a move that is exciting if not completely unsurprising. Sorkin is one of Hollywood’s best writers, as is evidenced by his work on The West Wing, Sports Night, The American President and the recent Moneyball. And of course, he has a history writing movies about the tech world.

    His Oscar-winning script for 2010’s The Social Network tackled Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, another highly complex giant of the industry.

    But he did know Steve Jobs, which always complicates matters. And it’s entirely possible that he won’t want to dive into another Silicon Valley project. But considering the success of The Social Network, one can’t help wondering what Sorkin could do with the Steve Jobs character.

    For a look at some of his best work, here’s a well-written scene from the all around well-written The Social Network:

    What do you think? Would Sorkin be a good fit for the Steve Jobs biopic? Let us know in the comments.

  • Oscars: The Social Network Wins 3 Academy Awards

    The Academy Awards show was last night, and The Social Network won 3 Oscars, after being nominated for 8. 

    The Social Network was up for: Best Picture, Best Direction, Actor in a Leading Role, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Music (Original Score). It won Best Adapted Screenplay, Film editing, and Music (Aaron Sorkin, Angus Wall/Kirk Baxter and Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross respectively).   

    Last month, The Social Network won 4 Golden Globes for Best Director, Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Picture, Drama. It  had been nominated for 6.  Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who portrayed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, was nominated for the Best Actor, Drama award, but lost out to Colin Firth for his performance in the film, The King’s Speech. Andrew Garfield, who played Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Christian Bale for his performance in The Fighter. 

    Awards The Social Network Has Been Nominated For and Won

    The film missed out on any wins at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, though Eisenberg was nominated for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role. 

    At the Oscars, The King’s Speech won Best Picture, Tom Hooper won Best Director for that film, Colin Firth won Best actor for it, Wally Pfister won Best Cinematography for Inception, and Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick also won Sound Mixing for Inception. 

    Read our review of The Social Network here.

  • Justin Timberlake, Aaron Sorkin Discuss “The Social Network”

    Comedy Central was all about The Social Netork last night. The Daily Show had Justin Timberlake, who portrays Sean Parker in the film, and The Colbert Report had Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter. 

    Timberlake says he’s "ridiculously stupid with computers".  He calls Zuckerberg a "brilliant mind".  

    Colbert asks Sorkin fiction or fact? Sorkin responds, "Fiction…I’m sorry, fact…it’s absolute non-fiction." 

    He goes on to say he wants to "start fights in the parking lot" about which characters are right and wrong. He also says viewers will enjoy the movie whether they love or hate Facebook.  

    He also has a bit of interesting commentary about social networking in general. "I do think that socializing on the Internet is to socializing what reality TV is to reality."  

    Colbert’s response: "Well, we’re not going to get any deeper than that." 

    Here’s Timberlake on The Daily Show:

    The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
    Justin Timberlake
    www.thedailyshow.com
    Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

    Here’s Sorkin on Colbert:

    The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
    Aaron Sorkin
    www.colbertnation.com
    Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

    See what director David Fincher has to say about Facebook here. Our review of The Social Network is here.