Danny Boyle’s upcoming Steve Jobs biopic is picking up steam over at Sony, as the project continues to attract a wealth of big-buck talent. Just recently Christian Bale was confirmed to be tackling the role of the Apple founder himself after Leonardo DiCaprio left to pursue other interests. Now, The Wrap reports that two new stars are apparently circling the movie; Seth Rogen and Jessica Chastain.
Rogen is being sought for the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was portrayed in the frankly awful 2013 version by Josh Gad. The team-up of Bale and Rogen may strike some as odd – but then again, the most unorthodox pairings often lead to crackling performances. As The Wrap points out, and I have to agree; Jonah Hill and DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street were an “odd couple” who rose to the challenge and brought out a semblance of humanity in the other. So, Rogen and Bale, two extremely proficient actors, will no doubt do the same. Elsewhere on the casting sheet, Jessica Chastain is apparently in the running for an as-yet unspecified role.
While Rogen is typically associated with Apatow comedies, he’s committed himself to several more dramatic roles in films such as Take This Waltz and 50/50, indicating that he’ll handle the part of Wozniak with panache. Chastain, whose slate is become increasingly crowded, has crafted a resume from tackling more serious fare, so this should be a no-brainer for the Oscar-nominated actress. Still, I reckon she should be in the new Ghostbusters.
The untitled flick is being penned by Aaron Sorkin, whose words we cannot wait to hear from Rogen and Chastain. His verbose stylings aside, the film is slated to take a new approach to Jobs. Instead of serving as a straight-up biopic, it’ll focus on three important dates in Apple’s history. Chronicling Jobs through the launches of three of its biggest products, it’s going to hedge its bets by going against a typically Academy-friendly structure.
More news on the Steve Jobs biopic when it lands.