For a project that has acquired one high-profile talent after another, the Aaron Sorkin-scripted, Danny Boyle-directed biopic of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has had quite a troubling pre-production phase. In the past few weeks, the film lost star Christian Bale and switched homes from Sony to Universal after the former put it in turnaround.

That said, for every negative development, there’s a positive one. As Boyle still hunts for the man who would be Jobs (Michael Fassbender is the latest name to pop up), he’s also working on rounding out his supporting cast. He already may have Seth Rogen on board to play Steve Wozniak, and according to a new report, he has attracted another A-lister to join the film.


Deadline is reporting that Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is in talks for an undisclosed role in the movie. The actress has a free schedule following the completion of the drawn-out, uneasy production of Gavin O’Connor’s Western Jane Got a Gun, meaning that she should be able to work around the winter shoot that Boyle has planned for the Jobs film.

Sorkin has previously commented on how the relationship between Jobs and his daughter Lisa Brennan-Jobs will give the film its emotional center. A majority of the content will come from the behind-the-scenes happenings prior to the unveiling of key products such as the Macintosh and the iPod, but Lisa’s part in the proceedings is large enough for her to be deemed the “heroine of the movie” by its screenwriter. With little information to go off of, it’s plausible that Portman is being courted to play Lisa.

The one hole in that theory would be the closeness in age between Portman and Fassbender, but a little makeup can go a long way in making the actor look considerably older than he is in real life.

Michael Fassbender Young Magneto X Men Days of Future Past Natalie Portman in Talks for Danny Boyles Steve Jobs Biopic

Interstellar‘s Jessica Chastain was reportedly being eyed for a part in the film a while back but like Portman, the role in question was unknown. Whether or not Portman’s potential involvement takes Chastain out of the running remains to be seen. Given the film’s unique structure and extreme dependency on Jobs, there may not be enough material to give two acclaimed actresses their just due.

Either way, some light on this topic will hopefully be shed shortly. Boyle is aiming to begin rolling his cameras soon, which means that all the pieces should be in place in the coming months. On paper, the new Jobs biopic has all the makings of an Oscar contender, so film buffs will be waiting eagerly to see what becomes of it.

We’ll keep you updated on the untitled Steve Jobs biopic as more information becomes available.