Oscar winner Christian Bale to play Steve Jobs in upcoming biopic

Sony's high-profile biopic of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will have plenty of award winning pedigree behind it, as Oscar winning actor Christian Bale will reportedly play the lead on the project, which also features an Academy Award winning director and screenwriter.

Bale is apparently in final talks to take on the role of Jobs, according to film industry publication Variety, which believes the casting is essentially a done deal. Bale will be directed by Danny Boyle, who won an Oscar for Best Director in 2008 for the film "Slumdog Millionaire."

The two are working from a script by Aaron Sorkin, who himself won an Oscar in 2011 for penning "The Social Network." The film is expected to be loosely based on Walter Isaacson's official Jobs biography.

There has been some turmoil behind the scenes on the project, as director David Fincher was previously attached, but reportedly walked away after making demands of $10 million in up front payment and full control over marketing. Sony, which is responsible for the film, was apparently reluctant to make that commitment after a marketing debacle with Fincher's adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Bale won an Oscar in 2011 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "The Fighter." He was also nominated last year for Best Actor for "American Hustle," but is perhaps best known for playing Batman in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy.