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Christian Bale wanted to play Steve Jobs in new David Fincher biopic

David Fincher has said he will only direct Aaron Sorkin's script if Bale is cast

Antonia Molloy
Friday 21 March 2014 13:00 GMT
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Christian Bale bears a striking resemblance to the late Apple creator
Christian Bale bears a striking resemblance to the late Apple creator

Christian Bale is being sought to play Steve Jobs in a Sony biopic about the late Apple founder.

Director David Fincher has his eye on the Oscar-winner for the lead role in the film written by Aaron Sorkin, The Wrap reports.

The unnamed movie is to be produced by Scott Rudin, Mark Gordon and Guymon Casady, while Fincher (Fight Club) has met with Sony’s Amy Pascal to discuss the possibility of directing it.

But he said he would only take on the project if Bale, who was Oscar-nominated for his part in American Hustle, is cast as Jobs, who died in 2011 aged 56.

Fincher and Pascal had a slightly turbulent relationship during the making of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but Pascal has faith in his filmmaker abilities and is inclined to keep him happy, according to insider information given to The Wrap.

However, there is one small problem - Bale, who bears a strong physical resemblance to Jobs, has not yet been approached to play the role.

The Batman actor is taking a hiatus after completing filming for Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Exodus, in which he plays Moses.

The new biopic consists of three long scenes documenting some of Apple’s product launches, including the Mac, NeXT and the iPod.

Sorkin, who won an Oscar for penning Fincher’s Facebook film The Social Network, based his script on Walter Isaacson's authorised biography, which was itself based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs.

Last year, Ashton Kutcher played Jobs in a biopic simply titled Jobs. The film received tepid reviews and amassed only $35 million (£21 million) worldwide.

But Sony believes there is still demand for a Jobs movie featuring A-list names, with 2015 being set as a preliminary production date.

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