It looks like Sony is back to the drawing board for its Steve Jobs biopic, which has now lost Christian Bale as its star.
As TheWrap was first to report, Bale has long been a favorite for the role but despite screenwriter Aaron Sorkin confirming his involvement in an interview last week, it looks like negotiations ultimately could not come together and a new Jobs search will have to take place.
The studio declined to comment.
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Danny Boyle is directing the film — which is not a traditional biopic — from a script by Aaron Sorkin, who had access to Jobs’ authorized biography by Walter Isaacson.
The film is expected to follow Jobs during three stressful, high-profile product launches including the first Macintosh in 1984 and Apple’s 2001 debut of the iPod.
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Jessica Chastain and Seth Rogen also recently emerged as potential cast members, although it’s hard to say whether Bale’s departure will have any impact on their deals. While neither Chastain nor Rogen have deals in place, the latter actor is in talks to play Steve Wozniak, who created the Apple I computer and co-created the Apple II computer in the mid-1970s.
Scott Rudin, Mark Gordon and Guymon Casady are producing the film, which Sony has high hopes for, as it could be a major awards contender.