With the recent leak of documents from Sony Pictures, Apple fans are getting a look at some previously unknown casting details in Aaron Sorkin's highly anticipated Steve Jobs biopic. The most interesting tidbit is that Sorkin was originally planning to tap Tom Cruise to play the Apple co-founder.
Ars Technica has released some excerpts from email conversations between Sorkin and Sony Pictures staff. In one exchange, Sorkin talks about his choice of Tom Cruise for the lead role:
I've gotten Scott and Danny to the point where they're now a little interested in Tom Cruise. Though both remain concerned about his age (me less so) everyone agrees that he's an actor who can really handle language (Lions for Lambs, Magnolia, A Few Good Men) and a movie star who feels comfortable owning the stage. He's in London filming right now and Scott wants to get him a script to read and a meeting with Danny before Danny comes here to LA next week. I've been warned that he likes to bring in Chris McQuarrie to re-write but [CAA agent] Maha Dakhil (who wants him in the movie) has assured me that won't happen.
However, Sony ultimately ended up selling the film rights to Universal — a decision which appears to be tied to the eventual choice of Michael Fassbender for the role of Steve Jobs. Ars Technica reports:
it was ultimately Director Danny Boyle's choice of Michael Fassbender for the role of Steve Jobs that blew up the deal, as Pascal and her team struggled to find someone to help finance the film with him in the lead. Then, as Sony reached a deadline for coming up with a deal, producer Scott Rudin and Boyle closed a deal with Universal to take the picture, sparking an e-mail flame war.
A few more interesting tidbits were leaked about the casting of the movie. It appears that several other actors, including Tobey McGuire and Matthew McConaughey, were interested in playing Jobs as well.
It will be interesting to see where this saga goes as more documents surface, but it appears that Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio definitely weren't alone as frontrunners for the part.
Source: Ars Technica
