Kicking around Hollywood for a few years and always with the glimmer of prestige surrounding it has been The Current War, a film that has attraced Ben Stiller, Paul King, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Timur Bekmambetov at various stages. Yet despite the talent interested in it, nothing has ever gotten moving. So despite the top tier talent eyeing the film now it's probably a good idea to keep expectations low.
According to THR, Jake Gyllenhaal and Benedict Cumberbatch are in negotiations to star in The Current War, and if that's not enough Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) is up to direct. Featuring a Black List script by Michael Mitnick, the story centers on the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse as they fought to be the first producer of a stable electric current. So yep, more smart people doing smart things, something Hollywood has been loving of late.
Next up for Gomez-Rejon is Collateral Beauty so this could be a ways off. Still, you can expect it to be an awards player when and if it gets off the ground.
