(posted this on Twitter and it seems quite popular..!)

Damien is not in the first The Current War trailer but is Benedict Cumberbatch wearing his old suit?

 

Another review, this one from The Hollywood Reporter. It is heartening to at least see Damien's name in the credits at the bottom.

The Hollywood Reporter | 'The Current War': Film Review | TIFF 2017

Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production companies: Weinstein Co., Thunder Road Pictures, Bazelevs, Film Rites, SunnyMarch
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Katherine Waterston, Tom Holland, Stanley Townsend, Matthew Macfayden, Tuppence Middleton, Damien Molony

 

 

Very intrigued to also see Stanley Townsend listed as cast! (not mentioned in IMDb cast list). Remember him from Ripper Street? He played Irish dynamiter, and Evelyn's father, Aiden Galvin, in Damien's episode 'Dynamite and a Woman'.

We know Bourke Cockran was Irish and travelled to the US when he was 17, so maybe there is an Irish link with both their characters?

(plus any excuse to post more pics of Damien in Ripper Street)

 

You're in luck then Rosie, because I seem to have posted 2 Albert photos in this topic!

who would think we'd be praying for mention of the electric chair in a film! lol! Maybe we are just assuming Damien's storyline will be tied up with that historical moment, but it is hard to imagine another, considering that was Bourke Cockran's involvement in the war of currents. I'd just love a tiny teeny sneaky peek of him!

On further research, Stanley Townsend plays Franklin Pope in the film, who is very much American (so Irish theory out of the window!) and according to wikipedia "a telegrapher, electrical engineer, explorer, inventor, and patent attorney," who partnered with Edison at some point. What a history lesson we're getting!

Some far more positive words from Deadline: 

Some critics are already gunning for The Weinstein Company’s The Current War(11/24)  which just had its World Premiere here last night and which I caught at this morning’s first Press and Industry screening. The film, a passion project for Harvey Weinstein who took a Produced By credit on the movie, is a handsome, visually gorgeous and generally involving old-fashioned style period film of the war for superiority between electricity giants Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon). Both stars are very fine. It was well-received at this morning’s screening . 

 

For anyone interested, Deadline's conversation with Michael Shannon, Nic Hoult, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and writer Michael Mitnik. Real shame Katherine Waterston wasn't there as advertised, it seems a very all male thing!

(begins at 4min mark)

The Current War Press conference 

It's great to actually see Damien's name listed in the credits for this film - thank you The Hollywood Reporter!

The reviews generally aren't glowing () but audiences don't always see films the same way that critics do, so we'll just have to wait and see....

Personally I've never been more excited by the notion of execution by electric chair

 

2 more release dates added to the DMF THE CURRENT WAR INFO!

Hong Kong 21 December 2017

Australia 18 January 2018

 

Full release date list:

USA 24 November 2017 (limited)
Hong Kong 21 December 2017
UK 5 January 2018
Bulgaria 5 January 2018
Germany 11 January 2018
Australia 18 January 2018 
USA 19 January 2018 (wider)
Hungary 1 February 2018
Netherlands 15 February 2018

 

and in case people missed it, TCW is screening at these USA film fests:

Mill Valley Film Festival 15 October 

Austin Film Festival 26 October - 2 November, screening date tba 

Sadly it's true Ellie.

The Harvey Weinstein scandal has been all over the news this week, it's truly awful and sadly probably the tip of a very large iceberg in Hollyweird. It's shocking how unshocking this is. You have to feel for the cast and many many creatives involved in The Current War and other Weinstein films. But hopefully something good can come out of this and there is a much much needed, long overdue culture change. My personal feelings on this are a lot stronger it is hard to talk about it in a detached way, this shit matters more than a film, any film. I'd happily never see this film if it meant just one less case of this unacceptable behaviour from / to anyone. 

Benedict Cumberbatch issued a statement earlier this week: “I am utterly disgusted by the continuing revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s horrifying and unforgivable actions,”"“We need to collectively stand up and support victims of abuse such as the brave and inspiring women who have spoken out against him and say we hear you and believe you." Read the full thing here.

The US release was originally set for December 2017, then brought forward to November 2017, for awards season, but has now been postponed until 2018. No word on the other international release dates yet, the majority of which are in 2018.

 

The Current War was supposed to release in UK cinemas today. Hopefully it won't be too delayed!

According to updated info on IMDb, the film will release 26 Jan in Norway and 1 Feb in Argentina. 

It seems news on the ill-fated The Current War may come soon - the Weinstein Company are going through an assets sale, after declaring bankruptcy last month.

Since news of this whole scandal broke, part of me has wanted this film never to see the light of day, and I wondered if it would ever be able to lose the association with HW. But the bigger part wants the creatives involved to see their work celebrated as it should be.

Fingers crossed the hurt to this film and all those involved in its creation ends soon and it is released to the public, far away from the toxic fumes.

 

Oh and according to IMDb, TCW is getting a theatrical release in Norway 1 October 2018 now.  And do we know if it ever released in Argentina?

Very interesting...

 

Ironically, at the same time as directing or producing the Screenlife films, Bekmambetov has also been busy developing and producing a more traditional feature, The Current War, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison. The original coproducer was a certain Harvey Weinstein. Thanks to the scandal surrounding Weinstein and the bankruptcy of the Weinstein Company, The Current War is now in limbo. It showed in an unfinished version at the Toronto Film Festival last year. “We are waiting for the next distributor who will allow us to finish the movie.”

 

Via The Independent, 2 days ago.

So 'The Current War' is not actually finished? This is good! It means we could get a different film, with further separation from the W word.

 

RPLovesIpswich wrote:

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Interesting. Hopefully that sounds promising for a future release and particularly without the connection to Harvey Weinstein tainting it. It would seem unusual to have a film with Benedict Cumberbatch in that doesn't get released at some point.

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 Yeah totally, maybe the only thing that would nix it is if BC himself decided he didn't want it released? As far as we know though he has  expressed his support in waiting for a release for more separation from the HW toxicity, but never said he didn't want it released eventually. For me, if it was a choice between the film a HW getting his comeuppance I'd not give a crap about the film. But as this is not the case, to permanently shelve the film would be a travesty - not only for us but  for all the creatives involved. I hope they can reclaim the film they made, it is theirs more than his.