Sony Pictures drop Steve Jobs biopic

Los Angeles - Sony Pictures has pulled out of the planned Steve Jobs biopic.

A movie about the Apple co-founder - who tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2011, aged 56 - has been in the works for several months, but the studio has now decided it does not wish to be involved in the project.

The film will be helmed by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, but the casting process has been a slow one after Leonardo DiCaprio - who was up for the role of Jobs - chose to take a hiatus from acting, and Christian Bale decided he would not be suitable to play the technology businessman and refused the part.

Michael Fassbender is believed to be in talks for the role, with Seth Rogen also apparently close to signing onto the project to play the role of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Interstellar star Jessica Chastain is also rumoured to be attached to the film as an unspecified character.

Scripted by Aaron Sorkin with input from Walter Isaacson, who penned the entrepreneur's official biography, the project promises to focus on three key moments from the CEO's life: the launch of the Mac, the takeover of ill-fated computer company NeXT and the production of the iPod.

With the departure of Sony, Universal Studios is now expected to make an offer to acquire the rights to the film.