First Look: Benedict Cumberbatch As Thomas Edison In 'The Social Network'-Esque 'The Current War'

Benedict Cumberbatch in old-timey clothes? Given how many period-based projects the actor finds him joining, the upcoming “The Current War” might seem like standard-operating-procedure, but it sounds like the movie about Thomas Edison and the race to produce electricity on a mass scale is going to have some contemporary-style urgency.

Producer Basil Iwanyk recently sat down with Collider, and shared that Alfonso Gomez-Rejon‘s (“Me And Earl And The Dying Girl“) film, with Cumberbatch as Edison, Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, and Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, will vibrate with an energy that will enliven its stuffy trappings.

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“It’s the story of the race to kind of light up the eastern seaboard, specifically Manhattan, between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. The movie isn’t played like a stodgy period drama, it feels like ‘The Social Network‘ or ‘Steve Jobs,'” he said. “It’s the idea of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs went toe-to-toe to create the lightbulb, and that’s what these characters were. They’re larger than life, and they’re aggressive and tough and funny and geniuses, and that’s the vibe of the movie.”

And frankly, that’s a pretty good approach to take and certainly gives us fresh interest in the long-brewing drama.

The Weinstein Company will release “The Current War,” and while there’s no date set, it’s almost certain it’ll be their awards vehicle for this year.*FIRST LOOK* Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison CR: The Weinstein Co.