David Fincher wants to direct a movie about Steve Jobs written by Aaron Sorkin, but only if Batman star Christian Bale plays the lead, according to Hollywood-centric magazine, TheWrap. The movie has long been in the works, and is based on the Walter Isaacson biography, Steve Jobs (Amazon).
None of the various parties associated with the movie and this story have commented, but TheWrap cited an unnamed source who said that Mr. Fincher met with Sony executive Amy Pascal to discuss the movie. According to that source, Mr. Fincher made it abundantly clear that he'd only direct the film if Mr. Bale played Steve Jobs.
Christian Bale (left) and a Young Steve Jobs (right)
This movie has been in the works for a while, as Sony optioned Steve Jobs soon after its release. Aaron Sorkin worked on the script for some time, and the movie reportedly focuses on three long scenes—Mr. Sorkin is noted for long scenes—from Mr. Jobs's professional career: the product launch for the Mac, the launch of NeXT, and the launch of the iPod.
If Christian Bale and David Fincher take on the project, filming is likely to begin in 2015 due to their existing schedules. Both have films to promote in the fall of 2014.
The Spin: Christian Bale as Steve Jobs in a movie directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin based on Walter Isaacson's killer biography? Sign me up. That's a recipe for awesome.