AppleInsider Staff
Leonardo DiCaprio, who was previously in talks to play the lead role in director Danny Boyle's upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, has reportedly turned down the offer and will instead take an extended hiatus from acting.
According to a Thursday report from The Hollywood Reporter, DiCaprio is no longer tied to the forthcoming film focusing on Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, the publication says DiCaprio was in talks to take on the role after filming another movie titled "The Revenant," but decided to ditch the Jobs biopic altogether. Instead of shooting two films back-to-back, he will take an extended break from acting after "The Revenant" wraps.
DiCaprio was first rumored to play Jobs in April, when Boyle reportedly approached him for the role. The pair previously worked together on "The Beach" in 2000.
For now, the lead spot is vacant, though Sony is reportedly looking to involve Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper.
DiCaprio is the latest Hollywood big wig to pull out of the project and follows director David Fincher, who exited after demanding $10 million in up front payment and full control over marketing.
The only person confirmed to be on board is screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network"), who penned a screenplay based on Walter Isaacson's biography "Jobs."
If the as yet unnamed film goes into production and sees release, it will be the second attempt at a Jobs biopic since the tech guru died in 2011. The independent film "Jobs," starring Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad, saw nationwide release in June, but failed to garner critical acclaim.
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25 Comments
Bale could do Jobs brilliantly. And he could use the same knock knock joke for Steve as he did as Bruce Wayne: "Knock, knock" "Who's there?" "Not your parents"
Who cares.
With each new role, DiCaprio has been playing increasingly vile characters, so I knew the Jobs gig wouldn't pan out. Leo is currently studying for the role of Eric Schmidt in the movie version of How Google Screws.
It's all very well to make a film about Jobs, but there is one small flaw: The man was unique. For any actor to try and replicate him, they're on to a losing battle. What's more, we have hours and hours of footage of him from keynotes and interviews. You can see him today; he's really good at playing himself! It's a bit like The Lord of the Rings. I read the book as a boy and loved it. I enjoyed the Jackson films, too, but I don't want to see them again, because they can't match the vision I've created from reading the book; rather, they sully it.
It's all very well to make a film about Jobs, but there is one small flaw:
The man was unique.
For any actor to try and replicate him, they're on to a losing battle. What's more, we have hours and hours of footage of him from keynotes and interviews. You can see him today; he's really good at playing himself!
It's a bit like The Lord of the Rings.
I read the book as a boy and loved it. I enjoyed the Jackson films, too, but I don't want to see them again, because they can't match the vision I've created from reading the book; rather, they sully it.
My only worry about a Steve Jobs film would be it getting 'Sculley-ed'.