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IMDbPro

The Current War: Director's Cut

Original title: The Current War
  • 20172017
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
29K
YOUR RATING
Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Holland in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
Edison. Westinghouse. Tesla. Three brilliant visionaries set off in a charged battle for the future in The Current War, the epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world.
Play trailer2:30
12 Videos
76 Photos
BiographyDramaHistory
The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas A. Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas A. Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas A. Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
29K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
  • Writer
    • Michael Mitnick
  • Stars
    • Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Oliver Powell
    • Sophia Ally
  • Director
    • Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
  • Writer
    • Michael Mitnick
  • Stars
    • Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Oliver Powell
    • Sophia Ally
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 240User reviews
    • 118Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos12

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    Watch Official Trailer
    International Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Watch International Trailer
    The Current War: Director's Cut: I Didn't Take Your Ideas
    Clip 1:04
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: I Didn't Take Your Ideas
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Only Because You Said It Will
    Clip 1:03
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Only Because You Said It Will
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Mary Talk
    Clip 0:52
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Mary Talk
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Did I Mention That His System's Lethal
    Clip 0:45
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Did I Mention That His System's Lethal
    The Current War: Director's Cut: What A Roaring Silence
    Clip 0:50
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: What A Roaring Silence
    The Current War: Director's Cut: At The End Of The Day I Had Two Dollars
    Clip 0:41
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: At The End Of The Day I Had Two Dollars
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Misfortune Does Not Trump Progress
    Clip 0:50
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Misfortune Does Not Trump Progress
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Benedict Cumberbatch On Thomas Edison
    Featurette 1:08
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Benedict Cumberbatch On Thomas Edison
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Matthew Macfadyen On J.P. Morgan
    Featurette 0:25
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Matthew Macfadyen On J.P. Morgan
    The Current War: Director's Cut: Tuppence Middleton On The Modern Elements Of Mary's Character
    Featurette 0:41
    Watch The Current War: Director's Cut: Tuppence Middleton On The Modern Elements Of Mary's Character

    Photos76

    Benedict Cumberbatch and Tuppence Middleton in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Michael Shannon in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch and Louis Ashbourne Serkis in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch and Leonard Adam at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Michael Shannon and Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Nicholas Hoult at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Michael Shannon at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
    Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    Benedict Cumberbatch
    • Thomas Alva Edison
    Oliver Powell
    Oliver Powell
    • Leo
    Sophia Ally
    • Dot (Younger)
    Tuppence Middleton
    Tuppence Middleton
    • Mary Edison
    Woody Norman
    Woody Norman
    • Dash (Younger)
    Tom Holland
    Tom Holland
    • Samuel Insull
    Matthew Macfadyen
    Matthew Macfadyen
    • J.P. Morgan
    Dominic Coleman
    Dominic Coleman
    • White House Butler
    Corey Johnson
    Corey Johnson
    • President Chester A. Arthur
    Katherine Waterston
    Katherine Waterston
    • Marguerite Westinghouse
    Michael Shannon
    Michael Shannon
    • George Westinghouse
    Stanley Townsend
    Stanley Townsend
    • Franklin Pope
    Nicholas Hoult
    Nicholas Hoult
    • Nikola Tesla
    Emma Davies
    Emma Davies
    • Female Reporter
    Nigel Whitmey
    Nigel Whitmey
    • Doctor Grandoff
    Simon Manyonda
    Simon Manyonda
    • Lewis Latimer
    Celyn Jones
    Celyn Jones
    • Sherman Quincy
    Iain McKee
    Iain McKee
    • Reporter
    • Director
      • Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
    • Writer
      • Michael Mitnick
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 and was originally supposed to be released in U.S. theaters in November 2017 . However, after Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct and rape by several women in a detailed article published by the New York Times in October 2017, the Weinstein Co. scrapped the original release date and sold the film to Lantern Entertainment, who later sold the film's U.S. distribution rights to 101 Studios. The film would finally be shown in movie theaters in Europe in July 2019 and the U.S. in October 2019.
    • Goofs
      The film is set in a time period spanning the 1880s and 1890s. Maps shown in the film show the states of Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona, which didn't become a state until between 1896 and 1912.
    • Quotes

      Samuel Insull: So, what's your trade?

      Nikola Tesla: I fix problems for idiots.

    • Alternate versions
      The film originally premiered at numerous festival and was then shelved for 2 years until a re-edited version (titled "The Current War: The Director's Cut") was released theatrically in 2019
    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Benedict Cumberbatch/Savannah Guthrie/Andy Grammer feat. Lunchmoney Lewis (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Autumn 3
      Written by Max Richter

      Performed by Max Richter, Daniel Hope, Raphael Alpermann, Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin, Andre De Ridder (as André de Ridder)

      Published by Mute Song Limited

      Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews240

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Tesla, Westinghouse & Edison... the Real story?
    Thought the casting on Cumberbatch's behalf was odd as he doesn't resemble nor act as you would suspect Edison to act (on the uncharacteristic side). Others in the cast seemed right. I've read where people argued the story-line of the movie vs. actual, and I've done a lot of reading on Edison and Tesla and actually found it very close.. plus the AC vs. DC rivalry with Westinghouse (including electrocution) to be VERY accurate. The story doesn't have a lot of "wow" to it (like a fictitious story would), but considering it based on real-life, it felt right. Oddly, the focus seemed to be heavy on Edison, yet the aspect of the story with Edison/Westinghouse truly MAKING AC work (and the person truly on the "shaft end of the stick") was Tesla!! The characterization of Tesla really left a massive untold story of pure genius receiving the most unfair treatment (though touched upon). YES.. Edison DID tell him he'd pay him a huge amount if he could figure out the problem.. and YES.. Edison did say "he was joking" (as in real life). It mentions Edison's venture into film, but if the film makers wanted to tell a more interesting story about Edison, it might be about his film work and competition with the Lumière brothers (the two brothers who actually were the real leaders of motion pictures. There are horror stories of Edison hiring hit men to show up where people were filming with Lumière film equipment to beat them up and destroy the equipment. Edison is portrayed a bit of a victim in this movie, but it seems that he really was anything BUT that. It seems that whoever wrote the screen play or story didn't know enough about Tesla to really portray him as the real victim he was, nor recognize Edison's very underhanded way of sometimes doing things. The film points out (justifiably) that often people credited with inventions are really just the person getting the last development in (not truly the original inventor). I'd LOVE to see Scorsese do a complete story focused on Tesla. THAT'S the REAL story here!
    helpful•246
    26
    • dan_slentz
    • Sep 15, 2019

    FAQ1

    • If this is a 2017 show, why do we have to wait until October to see it?This is one I cannot wait to see, the story fascinates me.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 25, 2019 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Russia
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • The Current War
    • Filming locations
      • Cragside House, Rothbury, Northumberland, England, UK(Solitude)
    • Production companies
      • BGI Supplies
      • Bazelevs Production
      • Film Rites
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,979,540
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,633,717
      • Oct 27, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,217,160
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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    Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Holland in The Current War: Director's Cut (2017)
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