October 06, 2011

Steve Jobs is dead (VAR, THR, DH, LAT, TW, EW, GAW, NYT, WIRED, TOH, TDB)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Moore

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor," a statement on the official Apple website said. "Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Despite the fact that he had recently stepped down from Apple in the face of increased struggles with his illness, the news that Steve Jobs passed away on Wednesday has jolted the world.

The inventor/innovator/mogul/genius - whom some are referring to today as the current era's Edison or Da Vinci - had an undeniably indelible impact on the world we know and no doubt that of future generations.

Jobs was also instrumental in Hollywood where he was the largest shareholder of Disney since selling the pioneering Pixar Animation to the Mouse in 2006.

Below is a round up of links and blurbs, many related to Jobs and the entertainment industry, which have been culled from the Internet today.

Variety's obituary is here in full, with an excerpt about Pixar below:

In 1986...George Lucas -- needing cash for his divorce settlement -- sold the nascent Pixar to Jobs for just $10 million.

Pixar was a money pit at first, though its Renderman software became the first and most popular computer animation software. Jobs' funds and patience were running low, but when Pixar's "Tin Toy" won the animated short Oscar, he negotiated Pixar's first feature deal, for "Toy Story."

The picture opened to rapturous reviews and socko B.O. When Pixar took its stock public days later, Jobs became a billionaire.

Disney paid $7.4 billion in 2006 to merge with Pixar. Jobs acquired a 7% stake in Disney and a seat on the board but gave up his posts as Pixar chairman and CEO, and Pixar execs Ed Catmull and John Lasseter took charge of the Disney animation slate.

In a joint statement, Lasseter and Catmull said: "Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined."

Disney's Robert Iger said of Jobs passing:

"Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined...With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend."

George Lucas said: "The magic of Steve was that while others simply accepted the status quo, he saw the true potential in everything he touched."

Per Deadline, Rupert Murdoch said this:

"Today, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation. While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I'm reminded of the stunning impact he had in revolutionizing the way people consume media and entertainment. My heart goes out to his family and to everyone who had the opportunity to work beside him in bringing his many visions to life."

Per The Los Angeles Times, Fox co-chair Jim Gianopulos, said: "Steve's genius transformed the way we work, play, live and think" and that Jobs will "remain an inspiration forever."

THR notes that although Jobs has been on a roll for more than a decade as arguably the world's most influential man in digital entertainment, he died before he could guide Apple TV - which he once referred to as his "hobby" - to success.

Deadline notes that analysts agreed that the next arena for Apple to master is television and that newly named CEO Tim Cook may be even better suited to guide the company there.

THR looks at how the loss of Jobs will impact Hollywood, from Disney's Iger and Lasseter to iTunes and UltraViolet.

Celeb reactions, including Albert Brooks tweet "Had the pleasure of working for him and knowing him. He was our Edison. R.I.P. Steve Jobs," can be found here.

The Wrap posted reactions from Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, MPAA chair Chris Dodd and Googles Sergey Brin.

Here are a selection of tweets Entertainment Weekly picked up:

Alec Baldwin: "Sad about Steve Jobs. On par with Henry Ford, Carnegie and Edison."

Lee Unkrich: "History will remember Steve Jobs for what he gave to the world. I will remember him for what he helped give my daughter: a healthy heart."

Anne Thompson, who once had lunch with Jobs, runs down her experience and provides some more links.

Elsewhere, here's Gawker's photographic look back at Jobs.

Here's an interactive New York Times list of Jobs patents.

Here's Wired's obit.

Finally, Deadline here opines that the hottest biopic in Hollywood right now has to be based on former Time magazine top editor Walter Isaacson's authorized Jobs biography to be published by Simon & Schuster on November 21.

And, The Daily Beast here asks, How did Steve Jobs become a wizard among muggles?.

This article was compiled using reports from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Entertainment Weekly, Gawker, The New York Times, Wired, Thomson on Hollywood and The Daily Beast. The original stories can be accessed by clicking the hyperlinks in the text above.