The first trailer for a new film, "The Current War," was just released. Those who follow the career of Benedict Cumberbatch are surely in for a treat. The movie is the project of director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. According to a report by The Verge, the movie will focus on a "really intriguing story."
Edison vs. Westinghouse: 'The Current War'
Set in the 1800s, "The Current War" will be about a rivalry that decided the future of America's use of electrical power.
Remember Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige?" It had a passing mention of how scientist Nikola Tesla was inventing more efficient ways to use electricity.
There was also that iconic shot where Tesla was on a snowfield surrounded by hundreds of light bulbs.
The trailer features this recognizable landscape, too, except that instead of David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, we have benedict cumberbatch as Thomas Edison. And, instead of light bulbs scattered on a snowfield, we see them propped on thin poles and arranged in concentric circles.
From there, we see how Edison's mind is so "full of ideas" that it will take him "twelve lifetimes to execute them all." We also see his rival in the war, George Westinghouse, played by Michael Shannon.
The trailer actually centers on the rivalry between these two. They brand Edison the "Inventor," and Westinghouse the "Businessman." The two will try to outdo each other in a war that will revolutionize the way electricity is presented in the Americas.
Although, of course, there is always the quote that Thomas Edison is "ready to light the whole world."
What's a good Edison movie without his most controversial colleague and later rival, Nikola Tesla? Tesla appeared in the trailer, too, and he was played by Nicholas Hoult.
An important point in American history
"The Current War" is a film worth noting.
According to The Verge, the setting is an important part of American history. The rivalry between Edison and Westinghouse "helped set the baseline for how electrical power was implemented across the country."
Those who are familiar with the acting prowess of Benedict Cumberbatch will be sure to think that his performance will not be a disappointment.
The actor has long-proved his versatility in show business. He played every role well, from the great detective Sherlock Holmes, voicing Smaug in "The Hobbit," Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game," Julian Assange in "The Fifth Estate," and even the title character in Marvel's "Doctor Strange."
"The Current War" is expected to be released in theaters on November 24, 2017.
