By Kat Asharya | Wed Nov 23, 2011 3:26 pm |
Aaron Sorkin, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "The Social Network," may bring another tech titan to life for the big screen, as interest in Steve Jobs continues to heat up even after his death.
Sony Pictures, which owns the film rights to the best-selling Walter Isaacson biography of Apple founder Steve Jobs, extended an offer to Sorkin, the "West Wing" writer and producer, to adapt the book to the screen for its biopic project."Sony has asked me to write the movie and it's something I'm strongly considering," said Sorkin to entertainment network E! Online. "Right now I'm just in the thinking-about-it stages. It's a really big movie and it's going to be a great movie no matter who writes it." The writer-producer scored an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on "The Social Network," which dramatized the inception and creation of Facebook through the story of founder Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin, known for crackling dialogue and fast-paced storytelling, was lauded for his prickly, sometimes caustic take on publicity-shy Zuckerberg. Movie execs likely see a natural match between another mercurial tech personality and Sorkin's ability to dramatize the impact of a larger-than-life persona on technology, politics and other big-picture subject matter. Sorkin, who also wrote this year's "Moneyball," will have rich material to drawn upon if he takes Sony's offer to pen the biopic. Isaacson's biography of Jobs is emerging as one of the best-selling books of the year, and has garnered praise for its honest, clear-eyed portrayal of the Apple founder's personality. Isaacson portrays both the high points of Jobs' artistic streak, pursuit of perfection and marketing genius, but doesn't sugarcoat his adversarial management style, frequent conflicts and several eccentricities. Many tidbits have emerged from the book since its publication, such as Jobs' vehement declaration to "destroy Android," and a script by Sorkin will likely include many of these highlights. But timing is everything in Hollywood, and Sony must work fast to assemble a star package of directing, writing and acting talent to take advantage of heightened interest in the Apple founder, who passed away earlier this year from complications from pancreatic cancer and may be in the running at Time's first posthumous "Person of the Year." Jobs is already the subject of a one-man performance piece in New York, which drew attention for its critical take on Apple and its manufacturing processes. Sorkin recently sold a series about a cable news network to HBO for an initial 10-episode run, set to star Jeff Daniels, and may be too busy to balance both the commitment of running a new show and writing a script. However, the attraction of portraying an influential figure like Jobs may win Sorkin over. "He was a great entrepreneur, he was a great artist, a great thinker," Sorkin said of Jobs. "He's probably inspired [my 11-year-old daughter] Roxy more than he's inspired me. She plays with all his toys."
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