Is everyone just sick and tired of hearing about Steve Jobs?
Perhaps. Jobs has been one of the most covered — and hyped about — film subjects this year, with that terrible Alex Gibney doc that came out and then the big-budget Hollywood version, both trying to put their thumb on what made the iconic Apple co-founder tick.
And apparently, they failed. The new Steve Jobs flick, which is even conjuring up Oscar talk, with Michael Fassbender in the title role, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle is officially a flop, according to Variety.
“Steve Jobs hit a stumbling block in its national release,” Variety wrote. “It debuted to a measly $7.3 million, only a little more than the $6.7 million that Jobs, a critically derided film about the iPhone father with Ashton Kutcher, made in its initial weekend.”
Ouch.
Despite critics enjoying the film — even Team GeekWire at the Movies liked it — the public is not warming up to it.
What went wrong? In a detailed analysis, Variety notes several misfires. Did you know that both Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale declined to play Jobs?
“Steve Jobs was too brainy, too cold, and too expensive to make it a success. Moreover, Michael Fassbender, the electrifying Irish actor who replaced Bale as Jobs, lacks the drawing power to open the picture,” Variety states.
Additionally, the entertainment publication adds that timing — The Social Network debuted as everyone was excited about Facebook vs. Jobs, who has been “thoroughly picked over” — and the competition for serious adult audiences has hurt its chances.
Also, they add that the portrayal of Jobs as an “emotionally abusive perfectionist” is a tough sell, therefore maybe solidifying the idea that no one wants to spend about two hours of their lives watching a self-absorbed a**hole talk about how great he is? Just a thought.
Despite all that, Universal thinks that “the picture can recover.” I say good luck with that. You’ve got heavy hitters coming down the pipeline for the holiday season, including a little flick called Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
