Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic: Three 30-Minute Scenes Taking Place Before Three Product Launches

Aaron Sorkin, screenwriter of the movie based on Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography, has shared some details behind the structure of the upcoming film.

NewImage
Speaking from The Daily Beast's Hero Summit, Sorkin disclosed that the entire movie "is going to be 3 scenes, and take place in real-time." Further, each of the three 30-minute scenes will take place backstage before a major product launch.

Sorkin has previously noted that biography screenwriters frequently have difficulty overcoming a "cradle-to-grave structure".

"Drama is tension versus obstacle. Someone wants something, something is standing in their way of getting it. They want the money, they want the girl, they want to get to Philadelphia - doesn't matter ... And I need to find that event and I will. I just don't know what it is," Sorkin said.

With the movie laid out in this real-time format, Sorkin seems to have written a rather unique film. It seems likely that the three major product releases that Sorkin is referring to will be the original Macintosh in 1984, the iMac in 1998, and the iPhone in 2007.

Update: According to Baba Shetty, the CEO of Newsweek, Sorkin mentioned the launches of the original Mac, the NeXT cube, and the iPod.

Update 2: The Daily Beast has posted the video of Sorkin's interview, with the Steve Jobs segment beginning around 22:30 and continuing through the end.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...

Top Rated Comments

BornAgainMac Avatar
170 months ago
I want to see the Mobile Me meeting.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Patriot24 Avatar
170 months ago
Good to see all of the writers and directors of MacRumors coming out to weigh in here. Sorkin clearly has no idea how to write good stories and produce great works.

oh.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mal Avatar
170 months ago
I actually really like this idea. The thought of getting a feeling for what Jobs was like before each of those major launches (without a doubt the most significant points in Jobs' career) is really intriguing. I have a feeling I'll enjoy seeing this, unless it's just really poorly done.

jW
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
extradryny Avatar
170 months ago
I'm intrigued, mostly because I agree with Sorkin on the trouble with cradle-to-grave biopics. They only seem to work when the the character is fictional, like Forrest Gump or Jesus Christ.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frayne182 Avatar
170 months ago
Sounds terrible.


Make it in the format Social Network is and make it dramatic.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8CoreWhore Avatar
170 months ago
That's not a biopic, it's a triopic.

Look, 2 hour biopics suck. You can't cram the story in there. If people really want a biopic, they'll read the book.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)