The Current War trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult feud over electricity dominance in 19th century

The Current War is finally gearing up for a theatrical release in October this year, two years after it first premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Helmed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon from Michael Mitnick’s screenplay, the film is a dramatic representation of the epic late 19th-century war of the currents.

The film follows Thomas Edison ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) as he attempts to electrify Manhattan using his DC technology. However, George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) and his partner Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) thwart Edison’s attempts when they introduce their rival AC electrical current. The film also stars Tom Holland, Katherine Waterston, Matthew Macfadyen and Tuppence Middleton in pivotal roles.

The rivalry between the electrical giants is evident in the teaser, where Cumberbatch’s Edison declares that “this is a battle of the greatest minds of America,” to which Westinghouse responds  “If you want to be remembered, it’s simple: Shoot a president. But if you prefer to have what I call a legacy, you leave the world a better place than you found it.”

Upon its screening at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival, The Current War was mostly met with an underwhelming response. The film was originally supposed to be distributed by The Weinstein Company in November 2017, but the project was shelved and sold off in the wake of the  Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal .

Speaking about the delay in release, Cumberbatch had said that he is “fine” as it will help the film get rid of the “toxicity” of the disgraced producer.

“If it takes us not releasing our film for a couple of years just to be rid of that toxicity, I’m fine with that… I want to step back and be as far removed from that influence as possible, both as a filmmaker and as a human being,” Cumberbatch had told The Telegraph.

According to Variety , the film has undergone several changes since its premiere. The run-time has been chopped off, new scenes have been added and the film’s original music has been changed.

Check out the trailer here .