Cumberbatch and Gyllenhaal Eye Electrifying Feature

Casting around for the kinds of brooding, sallow faces that would really pop in the harsh light of a 19th century electrical generator, The Weinstein Company is in talks to recruit Jake Gyllenhaal and Benedict Cumberbatch as the leads in its upcoming film The Current War. It’s expected that Gomez-Rejon will direct The Current War once he’s finished shooting Collateral Beauty with Will Smith.

The pair have signed on to star as Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, respectively, in the fact-based story of the famed electricity wars of the late 1800’s. Edison championed the use of a direct current for electric power distribution over an alternating current, which was backed by several European companies and Westinghouse Electric. TWC has agreed to finance. It’s for this reason that we’re excited to announce that it looks like they will be going head-to-head in a new film called The Current War.

The film will be produced by Timur Bekmambetov (who was originally eyed to direct), along with Film Rites’ Steve Zaillian and Garrett Basch. Gyllenhaal also has the Boston Marathon bombing pic “Stronger” on his slate. What’s more, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is in talks to helm.

Gyllenhaal is on screens now in Everest and will also be seen in Demolition, which is playing at various festivals and lands in the United States on April 8 next year, but doesn’t have a UK release set yet.