AppleInsider Staff
According to a report on Monday, director David Fincher will not reteam with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin for Sony's upcoming big-budget Steve Jobs biopic. The duo, along with producer Scott Rudin, worked together on the Academy Award winning film "The Social Network," which focused on Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.
Citing sources close to the matter, The Hollywood Reporter said on Monday Fincher backed out of talks after his demands of $10 million in up front compensation and control over marketing were supposedly rebuffed. Reports from as early as February claimed Fincher was in discussions with studio heads over the movie based on Walter Isaacson's biography.
"You're not doing Transformers here. You're not doing Captain America," one source said about Fincher's demands. "This is quality — it's not screaming commerciality. He should be rewarded in success but not up front."
In March, a report claimed the director was making similar demands in that he would sign on only if actor Christian Bale of "Batman: The Dark Knight" agreed to play Jobs.
Fincher's body of work includes a number of critically-acclaimed films, including "Se7en," "Fight Club," and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." According to sources, Sony may be wary of granting oversight after a marketing debacle with the "Dragon Tattoo."
Fincher reportedly requested the movie's tagline read, "The Feel Bad Movie of Christmas" and pushed for the creation of metal one-sheets shaped like razor blades. The studio reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce the promotional material, but its use was limited after being deemed unsuitable for display in theaters.
The director may return to the negotiating table at a later date, but it remains unclear how Sony will respond if he continues to push for exorbitant up front fees.
Andrew Orr
Malcolm Owen
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13 Comments
It's a negotiating tactic.
He is not Transformers and not Captain America. But, he is the Captain who Transformed America's [innovation] and brought Commerciality. And, who cares success... journey is the reward.
/* That is too much */
These types of movies do not make that much money regardless of how many awards nominations they may receive. The audience is limited and Sony in absolutely correct in not giving any director or star huge salaries. A big name director and stars usually work on these type of films out of respect for the subject, work for scale and take a back-end deal on profits.
"David Fincher pulls out.." That's what she said.
Good. I always thought that the Social Network was overrated and boring.
Who needs a repeat of that movie? Not me.