Christian Bale has reportedly decided to back out of playing Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic from Sony Pictures Entertainment, just two weeks after the movie’s writer confirmed he was chosen for the role. Sources say Bale felt the part simply wasn’t right for him.
“Christian Bale will not be Steve Jobs after all,” reads a story from The Hollywood Report that was published on Monday. “Sources say Bale, after much deliberation and conflicting feelings, came to the conclusion he was not right for the part and decided to withdraw.”
The movie, which has already been written by Aaron Sorkin and will be directed by Danny Boyle, was scheduled to begin shooting this winter ahead of a release in 2015. Seth Rogen is in discussions to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, according to recent reports, but it’s unclear how Bale’s decision will affect casting. Boyle is expected to meet with the film’s actors and actresses this week.
Before Bale was chosen to play Jobs, reports had claimed that Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Bradley Cooper were all being considered for the lead role. However, Sorkin and the movie’s producers felt Bale was so right for the part that he didn’t even need to audition.
The biopic will consist of just three scenes — each of which will be around 30 minutes long — that will take place backstage before some of Jobs’ most significant keynotes. It’s unclear whether casting will affect its planned release date.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter,
