It seems pretty obvious given what's on paper that, if you're interested in the annual film awards derby at year's end, you should be keeping a pretty close eye on “Steve Jobs.” Produced by Oscar winners Scott Rudin (“No Country Old Men”) and Christian Colson (“Slumdog Millionaire”) along with nominee Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), written by Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”), directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) starring Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender (“12 Years a Slave”) and winner Kate Winslet (“The Reader”) – yeah, this is that “sight unseen” territory.
And just like that, everyone forgot about that Ashton Kutcher movie.
Of course, it goes without saying, buyer beware on that kind of thing. Every year something that looks like a perfect fit on paper ends up falling to the wayside. Each of those names have seen it happen, in fact, as well as the studio distributing the film: Universal Pictures. Just ask them how “Unbroken” turned out last year. And this project already experienced turmoil at another studio before ending up there. Nevertheless, that level and amount of talent does nothing if not drive interest, and Fassbender starring as the titular tech titan in a film courtesy of those filmmakers has mine, certainly.
The studio has decided to push out a teaser/first look trailer for the film, and it's an interesting sell. When you have a guy like Sorkin behind the script, you know it will have a certain rhythm, so playing up the dialogue over a simple image to kick things off is pretty much what you'd expect. The film's key cast members are front and center – Fassbender, Winslet, Seth Rogen and Jeff Daniels – and the whole thing takes on a definite whiff of importance. The sense of deification is a bit heavy, but also difficult bait to ignore, so…
My expectation is this film will open the New York Film Festival this year. Rudin has a history there (“Captain Phillips,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Inherent Vice” in recent memory) and the film hits theaters two days before the festival closes. You want a major splash like that rather than a centerpiece spot, I should think. So that's where I'd put my chips.
And then, well, we'll see. For now, check out a taste above.
“Steve Jobs” opens October 9.