Apple Inc. hardcore fans have reacted to recent news that Ashton Kutcher has been cast to star as their idol Steve Jobs in an upcoming indie biopic. Taking to Apple-dedicated news sites and forums, those fans have quite mixed sentiment over the confirmation that the "Two and a Half Men" star has landed the prestigious role despite the fact that he's famously known for his stints in comedy movies.
Some of the fans showed their support to Ashton as noted by The Hollywood Reporter. A user named Savor wrote on MacRumors, "People need to get the 'Punk'd'/Michael Kelso image out of their head for a minute and be open-minded to this choice. I remember when people scoffed at Heath Ledger portraying The Joker. The guy from '10 Things I Hate About You'. But he surprised all of us with that role and won an Oscar for it after his death."
"Not saying Kutcher will step up his game at that level," so the user added. "It is only an indie film. But like another poster mentioned, he might need a talented director and writer to push him to another level."
Another Apple fan named Breising also believed that Kutcher could tackle the part convincingly. The user wrote, "Having sat for breakfast with Steve in Hawaii the day he rolled out the Mac and listening to him string along the 'reporters' that were bugging him about what was going to happen I can imagine Ashton playing that part very well. I think they have the same sense of personal space and humor. Very direct with a slight mischievousness."
Though so, some fans were not satisfied with the decision to cast Kutcher as the late gadget mogul. A user with a moniker cmvsm skeptically wrote, "Bad choice. Kutcher may look like Jobs from a certain perspective, but his acting absolutely tanked a top rated 'Two and a Half Men' show. He's also typically type casted as a goofy, comedic type in just about everything he has done."
The same user continued, "They should have gone after Noah Wyle again, who played Jobs in the 'Pirates of Silicone Valley' in 1999. He looks like Jobs to an extent, and did a great job with Steve's mannerisms in that particular movie."
On another Apple fans site, a user called ScorpioKing1990 has a different opinion regarding the issue. "I don't want to suggest that this means he can play Jobs well, but if you want to see that Kutcher can act, I suggest watching 'The Butterfly Effect'. It is one of my favorite movies and it makes NO SENSE that Ashton Kutcher plays the role...but somehow he pulls it off, really, really well in my opinion and now I can't picture it any other way...Based on this performance alone, I will reserve my judgment and give him a chance...But it IS odd," so the fan posted.
On Sunday, April 1, it was announced that Kutcher has secured the lead role in a biopic called "Jobs". At first, the news was dubbed as a Hollywood's April Fools' Day prank, before later it was confirmed that the casting was real. The former "That '70s Show" star is expected to begin filming in May.
"Jobs" itself follows the titular figure's life from when he was a wayward hippie from Northern California until he became the co-founder of Apple. The script is written by Matt Whiteley, while the directing duty will be tackled by Joshua Michael Stern.
The indie biopic could be a rival to Sony Pictures' untitled Steve Jobs biopic, which is based on an authorized biography by Walter Isaacson. The competitor project still hasn't found its lead actor as well as screenwriter and director.
As for Kutcher, the actor himself was last seen starring in Garry Marshall's star-studded romantic comedy, "New Year's Eve". Though he is famously known for starring in comedy features, the Iowa-born star also earned strong notices for his performances in such dramas as "Spread", "The Butterfly Effect" and "Bobby".