Sony set to make 'Steve Jobs'

NEW YORK, USA: Sony Pictures is set to acquire rights to the book by former Time Magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson for a seven-figure sum. It will be the first film to tell the Apple founder's story on the big screen, though a made-for-TV docudrama, Pirates of Silicon Valley, previously immortalised Jobs in 1999 with ER's Noah Wyle playing the role, reported deadline.com.

Following the death of Steve Jobs last week, the release of Isaacson's biography is being advanced to October 24. He died of a rare form of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. The book encompasses more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years — as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors and colleagues. At one point, the book hit No 1 on Amazon's bestseller list, based on pre-orders alone.

Isaacson has previously written bestselling biographies of Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger and Benjamin Franklin. He was reportedly given complete access to Jobs, including a personal tour of his subject's childhood home.

Mark Gordon, the man behind films such as Speed, Saving Private Ryan and Source Code, will produce the film version for Sony.