The battle to effectively light up the world – and to control the basis of power for the future – was always going to be a compelling one. And indeed, there are two competing films on the way about the clash between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse in the late 19th century. The Current War, which features Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Nicholas Hoult, is first out of the gate with its trailer.
Written by Michael Mitnik, the film follows the real-life public clash between Edison (Cumberbatch) and Westinghouse (Shannon) as to who was going to decide the future of the American electricity industry in the 1880s. Edison favoured direct current, while Westinghouse and several other companies preferred to push alternating current. Caught between them was inventor Nikola Tesla (Hoult).
Me And Earl And The Dying Girl's Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has clearly decided to bring some energy (no pun intended) to the period tale, with bold camera work and a modern aesthetic. The cast also includes Katherine Waterston, playing Marguerite Westinghouse and Tom Holland as Samuel Insull, Edison's right hand man.
The Current War will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before heading here on 5 January.