Funny or Die to release Steve Jobs movie starring Justin Long on April 15

justin long steve jobs

Folks who can’t wait for Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs biopic to hit theaters—its April release date was recently pushed back to allow time for more marketing—will be happy to hear that another Jobs movie is going to be launching next month.

No, it’s not the Sony-backed flick written by Aaron Sorkin. It’s actually a Funny or Die production. The popular comedy website, founded by Will Ferrel’s production company, has apparently recorded a full-length, ‘very silly’ Steve Jobs movie…

Justin Long will be portraying Jobs in the film, which is interesting giving his history with Apple. Long, who is now known for his roles in cult comedy classics like DodgeBall, played the part of the ‘Mac’ in the company’s popular ‘PC vs Mac’ ads.

From The New York Times:

“In true Internet fashion, it’s not based on very thorough research — essentially a cursory look at the Steve Jobs Wikipedia page,” said Ryan Perez, who wrote and directed “iSteve.” “It’s very silly. But it looks at his whole life.”

Making fun of Mr. Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died in 2011 and who is considered a deity by many people (at least in the tech world), is a risky proposition, even if done gently. But Allison Hord, who produced “iSteve,” said the tone was such that “even the harshest fanboy critics will be able to laugh with us.”

The idea for the film was born out of a brainstorming session for a Steve Jobs movie trailer, where the jokes escalated beyond the site’s usual 5 minute timespan. The Times says that this is by far Funny or Die’s longest project in its 6-year history.

There are 2 other, more accurate, films on the way based on the late Apple co-founder. One, the aforementioned biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, is set to be released later this year. And the other, written by Aaron Sorkin, is in the early stages of production.

iSteve is scheduled to be released online, on April 15. Writer Ryan Perez told the Times, “we might not be the best, but we will be the first.”

Thoughts?