Aaron Sorkin talking about his new film on Apple's Steve Jobs. Image: Joanna Stern/ABC News

Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. - While Ashton Kutcher  gets ready to play Steve Jobs in an upcoming movie, Aaron Sorkin, the mastermind writer of "The West Wing" and "The Social Network," is preparing another - he plans to adapt Walter Issacson's biography of Steve Jobs into a film.

"I am at the earliest possible stage with 'Steve Jobs.' What I will do is go through a long period that will not look to a casual observer like writing," Sorkin said during an interview at the All Things D conference here.

Sorkin also likened writing about Jobs to writing about the Beatles. "To be honest with you, one of the hesitations I had was that this was a little like writing about The Beatles. There are so many people out there that know him and revere him; I saw a minefield of disappointment. Hopefully, when I'm done with my research I'll be in the same ballpark as some of the folks in here in terms of their knowledge about Jobs."

Sorkin also discussed the challenges of turning a biography into a movie and said the movie won't likely cover Jobs' entire life. "When biographies are turned into movies it is hard to shake the cradle to grave. I probably instead will identify the point of friction that appeals to me and dramatize that," Sorkin said.

Sorkin made a nod to that other Steve Jobs movie, the one in which Ashton Kutcher is starring, and said he believes that "there is room for more than one movie."

As for who might play Apple's legendary founder in his film, Sorkin said he is still unsure. " I don't know who the actor will be, but they are going to have to be smart. There are a lot of things actors can fake. Intelligence is something you cannot fake."