Aaron Sorkin Apologizes for Blasting Tim Cook's 'Opportunistic' Comment - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Aaron Sorkin Apologizes for Blasting Tim Cook's 'Opportunistic' Comment

by

Early this month Tim Cook sat down with Stephen Colbert for an interview and called movies made about Steve Jobs "opportunistic." Yesterday, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin issued a scathing response to Cook, saying "if you've got a factory full of children in China assembling phones for 17 cents an hour you've got a lot of nerve calling someone else opportunistic."


Today, during an interview with E! News, Sorkin walked back his comments, saying that both he and Cook went a little too far.

"You know what, I think that Tim Cook and I probably both went a little too far. And I apologize to Tim Cook. I hope when he sees the movie, he enjoys it as much as I enjoy his products."

Sorkin's Steve Jobs film, which stars Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak will be released in New York and Los Angeles on October 9. The film will expand to more theaters on October 16 and open nationwide on October 23. Early reviews of Steve Jobs have called it "thrilling", with Oscar buzz surrounding the film.

The film is based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography, which Cook has said does a "tremendous disservice" to the Steve Jobs that he knew. The movie follows Jobs during three product launches, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how Jobs interacted with friends, colleagues and family.

Top Rated Comments

145 months ago
Tim Cook probably delayed his 6S order.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chirpie Avatar
145 months ago
Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I always take a moment to tell anyone thank you when they walk back themselves in an argument or disagreement. I wish I saw it happen more often rather than watch people get entrenched once they've voiced an initial opinion.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
145 months ago
Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I always take a moment to tell anyone thank you when they walk back themselves in an argument or disagreement. I wish I saw it happen more often rather than watch people get entrenched once they've voiced an initial opinion.
Very true. Although what he did was walk back Tim's comment as well as his own, as if they were equivalent. But one comment was a very casual (and reasonable) opinion, about multiple for-profit movies, from someone whose friend died a couple years ago. The other was a quite blatant lie about a matter of factual record, and a very direct and UNreasonable attack against a man (and company) who has in fact done far more than the competition to keep children out of the workforce and get China to treat workers more fairly--while openly and publicly documenting the problems and the progress. And the apology failed to correct that lie, further cementing the damage when many believe it.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
145 months ago
Damn, he walked that back quick. I guess he was afraid the Apple faithful wouldn't turn out for the movie as a result of what he said.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
145 months ago
Just waiting for Taylor Swift to chime in on this.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
145 months ago
That’s not an apology, that’s an attempt at damage control and a spin to make him look better. He’s still saying that “both went a little too far”, i.e. downplaying the fault in his actions while still discrediting Cook. It makes the apology worthless, but he will be remembered as the one who openly apologised.

Cook was entitled to his opinion and I wholeheartedly agree with him. It would piss me off as well.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
silver iphone 18 pro

Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year

Friday November 6, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple plans to merge the iPhone's Action button with the Camera Control starting next year, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker claimed that a single press of the combined button would open the camera, while a long press would trigger the function assigned to the Action button. They explicitly clarified that the dedicated Action button would ...
Latest Stories
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
5 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
7 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
1 day ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
1 day ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
2 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
2 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
2 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
2 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
2 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
2 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
2 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
2 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
2 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
2 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
3 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
3 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
3 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
3 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
3 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
3 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
3 days ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
3 days ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
3 days ago