Leonardo DiCaprio Exits Steve Jobs Biopic as Contenders Line Up

By Tatiana Siegel

Leonardo DiCaprio will not be tackling the role of Steve Jobs.

The actor, who had been in talks with Sony to tackle the late Apple Computer co-founder for director Danny Boyle, has bowed out to instead shoot The Revenant. But instead of making the untitled Jobs project right after, as had been hoped, DiCaprio has removed himself from the project altogether. Sources say after DiCaprio finishes The Revenant, which began shooting this week, he plans to take a lengthy break from acting.

Though the Jobs project, based on a Walter Isaacson books and adapted by Aaron Sorkin, is one of the most anticipated biopics in recent years, it has endured a few roadblocks since the best seller was first optioned by the studio in 2011, around the time of Jobs’ death.

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David Fincher had been in talks to direct, but as The Hollywood Reporter revealed in April, he fell out of the project over compensation and control.

Now with DiCaprio out, the studio is eyeing a number of actors to take on the iconic tech figure, who has been both worshipped and reviled. Christian Bale, who Fincher wanted for the title role, is on Sony’s wish list, as is Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper (though Affleck seems unlikely given that he just signed on for the thriller The Accountant).

Scott Rudin is producing alongside Film 360’s Guymon Casady and Mark Gordon.

The Jobs film would have marked a reteaming of DiCaprio and Boyle, who previously teamed on 2000’s The Beach.

Photo credit: Victoria Will/Invision/AP