Christian Bale Exits Steve Jobs Movie (Exclusive)

Sources say the actor came to the conclusion he was not right for the part and decided to withdraw

Christian Bale will not be Steve Jobs after all.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the actor has fallen off the Jobs biopic that is being directed by Danny Boyle.

The Sony project, which has a script by Aaron Sorkin and is being produced by Scott Rudin, Guymon Casady and Mark Gordon, was on track to begin shooting this winter for a quick turnaround.

Boyle is due in town this week to meet with actors and actresses for the movie. Seth Rogen is in discussions to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, but no official offer has been made. It is unclear how Bale’s departure will affect casting.

Read more 5 Unforgettable Steve Jobs Moments

Sources say Bale, after much deliberation and conflicting feelings, came to the conclusion he was not right for the part and decided to withdraw. The script is said to be divided into three acts that detail Jobs preparing for three presentations that came to define his life and the life of the company he co-founded, lost and came back to.

On Oct. 23, Sorkin told Bloomberg TV that Bale was playing Jobs. "We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale," the writer said at the time. "He didn’t have to audition. Well, there was a meeting."

Bale marks the second high-profile actor to receive an offer from Sony for the Jobs role but eventually pass. Leonardo DiCaprio also was in line for the late tech icon before moving on to shoot The Revenant. Neither had begun negotiations.

Email: Borys.Kit@THR.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit

Email: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com

Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27