The first film based on the life of legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be released in April, according to a distribution deal for “jOBS” announced on Thursday. The “biopic” starring Ashton Kutcher as Jobs, who died in 2011, will premier later this month on the closing night of the Sundance Film Festival, according to independent distributor Open Road Films. Written by Matthew Whitely and directed by Joshua Michael Stern, “jOBS” focuses on the Apple co-founder’s life from 1971 through 2000.
A deal was announced for the film to be distributed in North America by Open Road, which is owned by major cinema chains AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment. “JOBS is certain to resonate with audiences and we are thrilled to partner with Five Star Films to bring this film to theaters,” said Open Road chief executive Tom Ortenberg.
Sony Pictures is backing a its own Jobs film based on the biography of the Apple co-founder’s life written by Walter Isaacson. The screenplay is being written by Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin, whose works include “The Social Network,” a play on the birth of Facebook. Jobs was best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics fields.
Although Jobs earned only $1 a year as CEO of Apple, Jobs held 5.426 million Apple shares worth $2.1 billion, as well as 138 million shares in Disney (which he received in exchange for Disney’s acquisition of Pixar) worth $4.4 billion. Jobs quipped that the $1 per annum he was paid by Apple was based on attending one meeting for 50 cents while the other 50 cents was based on his performance. Forbes estimated his net wealth at $8.3 billion in 2010, making him the 42nd-wealthiest American.
In August 2011, Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple, but remained with the company as chairman of the company’s board. Hours after the announcement, Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares dropped five percent in after-hours trading. This relatively small drop, when considering the importance of Jobs to Apple, was associated with the fact that his health had been in the news for several years, and he had been on medical leave since January 2011. It was believed, according to Forbes, that the impact would be felt in a negative way beyond Apple, including at The Walt Disney Company where Jobs served as director. In after-hours trading on the day of the announcement, Walt Disney Co. (DIS) shares dropped 1.5 percent.
Jobs died on October 5, 2011 in Palo Alto, California, U.S. aged 56.
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