Michael Shannon Cast as Benedict Cumberbatch's Rival in 'The Current War'

NadiaA71 Michael Shannon is set to join The Weinstein Company's upcoming drama 'The Current War'. He will portray American inventor and entrepreneur George Westinghouse. Benedict Cumberbatch will portray Thomas Edison who is also an inventor - and Westinghouse's rival.

The Current War is the story about the famous feud between Edison and Westinghouse in the 1880's. Edison (Cumberbatch) championed the use of direct current (DC) electric power to distribute electricity in the US while Westinghouse and his European backers are in favour of using alternating current (AC).

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and The Dying Girl) will direct based on a script written by Michael Mitnick.

This is not the only film about Edison and Westinghouse that is currently in development. The Last Days of Night which is based on a book by Graham Moore will focus on Paul Cravath, the lawyer who defended Westinghouse after Edison sued him for an astonishing one billion dollars. Eddie Redmayne is attached to the project and will play Cravath.

Filming for The Current War will begin in December while The Last Day of Night is scheduled to start in February,

src:deadline