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Mission accomplished!

 

When most independent films head to Sundance, they do so with the hope/expectation that they’ll land a distribution deal with a major company. But in the case of Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs biopic, Open Road Films has reportedly already scooped it up!

 

Thanks to this last-minute bid, the Joshua Michael Stern-helmed film, entitled jOBS, can rest easy at Sundance where it will be closing out the fest on January 27, while Open Road will be busy prepping the flick for an April nationwide opening. Early reports from Sundance programmers tap the often goofy Kutcher’s performance as “quite remarkable”.

 

Meanwhile, jOBS isn’t the only film in the pipeline focusing on the late Apple founder’s extraordinary life. Aaron Sorkin is currently busy as work putting his Oscar-winning writing skills to use in adapting Walter Isaacson’s bestselling biography of Jobs for the big screen. No need for festival pandering here – this project already has financial support from Sony.

 

It’s certainly not unusual to see two different films about the same subject either produced or released near-simultaneously (Armegeddon and Deep Impact; Capote and Infamous; Snow White & The Huntsman and Mirror Mirror; Hitchcock and The Girl; etc, etc.), and usually only one of the two ends up leaving a lasting impression when all is said and done. Can Kutcher’s uncanny performance elevate his indie flick to memorable status, or will Sorkin’s writing plus Sony’s clout saturate the market? Time will tell!

 

 

- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor

katie@younghollywood.com