After Steve Jobs' death, several books and movies have attempted to portray the legendary Apple founder's life story. One of the most notable films about the former CEO's life is the one made by Joshua Michael Stern with actor Ashton Kutcher cast in the titular role.
This October, another film simply called "Steve Jobs" will be released in theaters all over the world.
However, Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell-Jobs reportedly lobbied against this new film written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle. Apparently, Powell-Jobs and the people who knew the former CEO personally believe that the film with Michael Fassbender as Jobs plays down his accomplishments while depicting him as cruel and inhumane.
"A whole generation is going to think of him in a different way if they see a movie that depicts him in a negative way," says Bill Campbell, a friend of Jobs and an Apple board member.
Powell-Jobs contacted Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment to stop the movie from being produced and released.
Scott Rudin, producer of "Steve Jobs," mentioned that Powell-Jobs refused to cooperate with the making of the film.
"She refused to discuss anything in Aaron's script that bothered her, despite my repeated entreaties," says Rudin.
Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Steve Jobs' daughter whose paternity he first denied, was also contacted by Powell-Jobs to voice alarms over the script. Brennan-Jobs requested a copy of the screenplay from Sorkin, but he refused, according to published reports.
Boyle and Sorkin maintain that the film is within the boundaries of artistic license.
The script for the film is based on Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. Despite Jobs' cooperation with Isaacson while he was writing the book, current Apple CEO Tim Cook and Jobs' other colleagues criticized the biography.
Cook explained that he hates how a lot of people are trying to be opportunistic.
Meanwhile, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was quite impressed with Sorkin and Boyle's depiction of Jobs. He said that he felt like he was watching the actual Steve Jobs in real life.
On Oct. 5, 2011, Jobs died at the age of 56 due to respiratory arrest. He had been battling pancreatic cancer. His brilliant and eccentric innovations in technology have turned him into an icon.
Photo: Ben Stanfield | Flickr
