Michael Shannon, who is coming off the Toronto and Venice premieres of Nocturnal Animals, is in negotiations to star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in The Weinstein Co. period drama The Current War.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is directing the project, which tells of the infamous Thomas Edison-George Westinghouse feud. It was penned by playwright-screenwriter Michael Mitnick.
The Current War takes place in the late 1880s and follows Edison, who championed direct current (DC) for electric-power distribution over alternating current (AC), which was backed by several European companies and Westinghouse Electric.
TWC will finance the film and release it domestically.
Film Rites’ Steven Zaillian and Garrett Basch are producing along with Timur Bekmambetov, who at one point was considering directing the project.
Shannon has a slew of upcoming projects this awards season besides Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, including Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which debuted at Cannes. He’s repped by CAA.
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