Poster · fair useMovies › The Current War
The Current War 2017
A 2017 historical drama film, The Current War depicts the 19th-century rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse regarding electric power delivery systems in the United States, commonly known as the "war of the currents." This film was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, written by Michael Mitnick, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Zaillian. The movie features Benedict Cumberbatch portraying Edison, Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, and Tom Holland as Samuel Insull, with additional roles played by Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton, Matthew Macfadyen, and Damien Molony.
The project was announced in May 2012, with Gomez-Rejon confirmed as director in September 2015. Cumberbatch, Shannon, and Hoult joined the cast by October 2016, and principal photography commenced in England during December. The film made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2017.
Originally intended for release through The Weinstein Company, the film was delayed and later sold in November 2017 after Harvey Weinstein faced sexual abuse accusations. It was then acquired by the successor company to The Weinstein Company, Lantern Entertainment, who subsequently transferred domestic distribution rights to 101 Studios. Following a final cut privilege clause in Scorsese’s contract, Gomez-Rejon secured his approval for reshoots and reduced the runtime by ten minutes, shaping the version eventually shown in theaters. The film opened in the United States on October 25, 2019. Critics offered mixed reactions, highlighting strong performances from the cast and interest in the narrative, while criticizing the film's overall execution.
Cast
- Benedict CumberbatchThomas Edison
- Michael ShannonGeorge Westinghouse
- Nicholas HoultNikola Tesla
- Katherine WaterstonMarguerite Erskine Walker
- Tom HollandSamuel Insull
- Simon ManyondaLewis Latimer
- Stanley TownsendFranklin Pope
- Tuppence MiddletonMary Stilwell Edison
- Matthew Macfadyen[[J
- Conor MacNeillWilliam Kemmler
- Damien MolonyBourke Cockran
- John SchwabRudolph Young
- Louis Ashbourne SerkisOlder Dash
- Corey Johnson[[Chester A
Crew
- Director
- Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
- Writer
- Michael Mitnick
- Producer
- Timur Bekmambetov, Basil Iwanyk
- Cinematography
- Chung Chung-hoon
- Editing
- David Trachtenberg, Justin Krohn
- Music
- Volker Bertelmann, Dustin O'Halloran
Details
- Production
- Bazelevs, Film Rites, Fourth Floor Productions, Lantern Entertainment (International co-distribution with 13 Films), The Weinstein Company (uncredited), Thunder Road Pictures
- Distributor
- (International), (United States), 101 Studios, Entertainment Film Distributors (United Kingdom), Lantern Entertainment (International co-distribution with 13 Films)
- Budget
- $30 million
- Box office
- $12.9 million
