Christian Bale has decided to pass on playing the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle’s upcoming biopic.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the Oscar-winning star “decided to withdraw” from the role after “much deliberation and conflicting feelings” before coming to the conclusion he was not right for it.
The director is due to meet with the cast of the Sony film, including Seth Rogen, who had been in talks to play Steve’s business partner Steve Wozniak.
The movie, which has been written by Aaron Sorkin, had been expected to start shooting in coming months, and it is unclear how Christian’s departure will affect the schedules.
Aaron told Bloomberg TV that the Dark Knight star would be taking on the role on October 23.
“We needed the best actor on board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale,” the screenwriter said at the time. “He didn’t have to audition. Well, there was a meeting.”
The script is said to be divided into three acts that focus on Jobs preparing for three presentations that came to define his life with technology company Apple, which he later left before returning.
Christian, 40, is the second high-profile actor to be approached by Sony for the Jobs role, following Leonardo DiCaprio, who was also linked to the part.
The Welsh actor will next be seen as Moses in Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings, and two Terrence Malick projects.
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