If you watch the newest trailer for the upcoming Benedict Cumberbatch-starring film “The Current War,” you’re only getting half of the story about the film. Hell, even if you pay your hard-earned money to watch the film in theaters later this month, you’re not getting the entire story of just how much blood, sweat, and tears went into the creation of the period drama. But thanks to a new interview with Business Insider, director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is able to just lay out exactly what went into the years-long creation of the film and the drama that unfolded behind the scenes.
To understand how the film arrived at its upcoming release date, you have to go back to 2017 and the film’s initial post-production process, where Gomez-Rejon began butting heads with his producer Harvey Weinstein, who has a very public reputation of being hands-on with the editing process.
“There was a lot of bullying happening and a lot of intimidation,” Gomez-Rejon said of working with Weinstein.
The filmmaker talked about how the producer wanted Cumberbatch’s Thomas Edison character to be more likable instead of “being human.” “It killed me because it was neutering the movie. There’s no war if both men are likable,” said the director.
Of course, we know what happened. The cuts were made. The film was drastically altered. And when the film premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, Gomez-Rejon knew that he had a film that he wasn’t proud of or something he felt was “finished.” But that, obviously, didn’t stop the critical reviews.
“When I walked out of the theater something happened that has never happened to me before, the tweets started,” Gomez-Rejon said. “It was incredibly painful because they were reviewing it as a final version and it wasn’t close to being finished.”
After that premiere, the filmmaker was clearly heartbroken and heard from Weinstein that the producer was going to fix things and make the film better before it was released. But, if you know history, you know that shortly after that TIFF premiere, Weinstein became the focus of an immense sexual assault investigation and Gomez-Rejon’s film became embroiled in a fight for the future of The Weinstein Company.
Eventually, the producer’s empire filed for bankruptcy and was purchased by Lantern Capital, who was going to release “The Current War” in its 2017 TIFF premiere version. Gomez-Rejon was sad but accepting of the film’s fate. However, that’s when his agents found what is being called the “Scorsese clause” in his contract.
Considering Martin Scorsese’s relationship with the filmmaker, with Gomez-Rejon viewing the legendary filmmaker as a mentor, there was a clause in his ‘Current War’ contract that said if there was a version of the film that was set to be released without Gomez-Rejon’s approval, then it had to carry the approval of Scorsese. This meant that the filmmaker was given one more shot to finish the film and re-edit it how he wanted.
What was produced is the version of “The Current War” that is hitting theaters this year, with new scenes added and a brand-new, director-approved cut.
“I had my first public screening a month ago and it hit me that it’s really happening,” he said. “Tears just started to flow. Out of nowhere. I hadn’t cried in years. It made me realize that anything I take on now I will expect the worst but know I can survive it.”
He continued, “I’m proud of the film and it’s mine.”
“The Current War” arrives in theaters this Friday.