Azernews.Az

By Bloomberg

Universal Pictures is steaming ahead with the Steve Jobs biopic it acquired after the producers had a falling out with Sony Pictures.

The film, based on the Walter Isaacson biography of Apple Inc.’s co-founder, will make its debut in theaters on Oct. 9, according to a statement Wednesday by Universal, owned by Comcast Corp.

The film, directed by Danny Boyle, will star Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman, the former Macintosh marketing chief. It’s set behind the scenes of three product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, the studio said in a statement. Jobs died in 2011.

Universal acquired the film from Sony Pictures in November, after disagreements over casting between producer Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal, the Sony Corp.-owned studio’s co-chairman. The spat was revealed in e-mail exchanges leaked by hackers in November.

Under Sony the biopic saw various changes in cast and crew.

Originally David Fincher, who directed “The Social Network,” had been linked to lead the Jobs biopic.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale had both been in talks for the role of Jobs before pulling out. The Culver City, California-based studio also considered Tom Cruise for the role, leaked e-mails revealed.

The script for the Jobs picture is being written by Aaron Sorkin, who won an Oscar for writing the screenplay of “The Social Network.”

Rogen Role

Fassbender is known for his roles in “Shame” and featured in the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple, is played by Seth Rogen.

Sony grew disenchanted with “Steve Jobs” as projected costs rose and after DiCaprio dropped out, the e-mails show. Prior to giving up on the project last month, Sony Pictures had been working for three years on a film adaptation of Isaacson’s 2011 biography.

The timing of the film’s release, combined with the involvement of several Oscar winners, makes it a potential awards contender.

“It’s a serious movie, and the fall traditionally is the time to release dramatic films that have awards potential,” said Joe Pichirallo, chairman of undergraduate film and television at New York University.

The industry’s awards season begins to build strength from September, with a series of screenings, red carpets and parties up until the Oscars, which this year is set for Feb. 22. The film had been unofficially pegged for release in 2016, according to IMDB.com. In 2013 Ashton Kutcher was featured in the role of the founder in “Jobs,” an Open Road Films release that was panned by critics.

“This movie will definitely be a major force during awards season,” said Phil Contrino, chief analyst at researcher Boxoffice.com. “It should also be a pretty sizable commercial hit.”