Anyone who has read the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs (or just followed his story over the years) knows there’s a lot of source material to draw from when crafting a movie. But Steve Jobs biopic screenwriter Aaron Sorkin revealed today at Hero Summit that his movie, at least as currently conceived, will feature only three 30-min scenes presented in real-time, depicting events backstage at key Apple product launches.
That’s a bold direction to take for a movie that many were likely expecting to tell a lot more of the story of the creative force behind Apple, the iPhone and the iPad. But it’s in keeping with Sorkin’s style, since the screenwriter likes to have his characters talk, and talk a lot onscreen to build the story. Jobs behind the scenes at Apple events was supposedly quite the whirlwind force, as well, based on reports, so it might make for some tense, edge-of-your-seat viewing despite sounding a little bit anticlimactic.
Sorkin also noted that there’s “no point in writing about someone unless they’re flawed,” according to the Hero Project official Twitter feed. The screenwriter also previously dropped hints that it wouldn’t span the entire life of the iconic Jobs, saying it wouldn’t follow the “cradle-to-grave” structure that’s a common element of many biographies. He specified at the D10 conference in May that instead, he’d focus on “the point of friction that appeals” to him, which it turns out seems to be the moments before Jobs appeared on stage to launch Apple’s revolutionary products amid applause, bright lights and fan fare.