The Current War trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch plays Edison in this period drama

Cumberbatch plays Thomas Edison, Shannon plays George Westinghouse and Hoult plays Nikola Tesla. The film is set in the late 19th century when their rivalry centred around the subject of power distribution across the world. Edison is famous for inventing the lightbulb which tipped the scales in his favour but the contribution of all three scientists left a lasting impact on the world.

Watch the trailer of The Current War here:

The film explores the politics of the scientific community and how the three scientists wanted to prove that their inventions were better than anyone else’s.

The film also stars Tom Holland, Katherine Waterston and Tuppence Middleton among others. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the film was first screened at the Toronto International Film festival in 2017. Soon after, the abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein came to light and the film was left in jeopardy.

The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the film and wrote, “For all its aggressive energy, The Current War is an uninvolving bore, making it unlikely to measure up as the kind of Oscar-baity prestige entry The Weinstein Co. obviously had in mind.”

The Current War is scheduled to release in October 2019.