"The Current War" is a 2017 American historical drama film directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.
The starring cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Alva Edison, Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, Katherine Waterston as Marguerite Westinghouse, Tom Holland as Samuel Insull, Tuppence Middleton as Mary Stilwell Edison, Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, Matthew Macfadyen as J.P. Morgan, Simon Manyonda as Lewis Latimer, Stanley Townsend as Franklin Pope, Conor MacNeill as William Kemmler and others.

Here are "The Current War" movie trailer, plot summary, full cast and characters, release date, streaming services and everything we know so far.

Trailer

Is there a trailer for The Current War movie?

101 Studios on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 released the trailer for "The Current War" you can watch here:
THE CURRENT WAR: Director's Cut | Official Trailer 2 | 101 Studios.

Plot summary

What is The Current War movie plot?

Here is a short review of "The Current War" movie plot summary.

It's 1880 and Thomas (Benedict Cumberbatch) Edison has unveiled his electric lightbulb. He plans to distribute power to American neighborhoods using Direct Current (DC), which is cheaper and cleaner than gaslight, but is limited in range and needs an expensive wiring infrastructure. George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), a successful business man and inventor himself, wishes to learn more, and invites Edison to dinner. After being snubbed by Edison, Westinghouse sets out to prove alternating current (AC) is the better technology, as it can work over greater distances and at significantly lower cost. Edison and Westinghouse compete to get cities across the United States to use their system. Westinghouse does an AC demonstration at Great Barrington in March 1886.
Inventor Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) arrives in the United States and begins working with Edison, but is disappointed by Edison's unwillingness to reconsider his ideas and to fulfill what Tesla thought was a financial promise which Edison passes off as just a joke. Tesla then leaves Edison's team. Edison fiercely guards his patents and sues Westinghouse.
Edison suggests that AC is dangerous and engages in a publicity war, while Westinghouse stands behind its technical merits. As Edison struggles to find ways to make DC more affordable, Westinghouse attempts to get the high-voltage AC system to work with motors. Edison's wife dies, and Westinghouse is also struck by personal tragedy when his friend Franklin Pope (Stanley Townsend) dies in an electrical accident. Both face significant financial risk. To generate funds Edison commercially sells his speaking machine "The Phonograph". To damage the reputation of AC, Edison shows that it easily electrocutes animals, and secretly works to help the creators of the electric chair, despite his previous objections to manufacturing weapons or other machines of death. The first person to die by electrocution is William Kemmler (Conor MacNeill), and newspapers label the event as "Far Worse Than Hanging". Westinghouse discovers Edison's involvement and reveals it to the press.

Cast

Who plays who in the The Current War movie cast?

Here is the full cast and characters of "The Current War" movie. Actors and actresses are sorted mostly in credits order.

Benedict Cumberbatch  as Thomas Alva Edison
Michael Shannon  as George Westinghouse
Katherine Waterston  as Marguerite Westinghouse
Tom Holland  as Samuel Insull
Tuppence Middleton  as Mary Stilwell Edison
Nicholas Hoult  as Nikola Tesla
Matthew Macfadyen  as J.P. Morgan
Simon Manyonda  as Lewis Latimer
Stanley Townsend  as Franklin Pope
Conor MacNeill  as William Kemmler
Corey Johnson  as President Chester A. Arthur
Damien Molony  as Bourke Cockran
Louis Ashbourne Serkis  as Older Dash
Oliver Powell  as Leo
Sophia Ally  as Dot (Younger)
Woody Norman  as Dash (Younger)
Dominic Coleman  as White House Butler
Emma Davies  as Female Reporter
Nigel Whitmey  as Doctor Grandoff
Celyn Jones  as Sherman Quincy
Iain McKee  as Reporter
Ekow Quartey  as Reporter
Will Irvine  as Reporter
James Chalmers  as North Dakota Man
Adam Pearce  as Man 5 (New Orleans)
Toby Williams  as Man 6 (Fort Worth)
Simon Connolly  as Man 7 (Sioux City)
Tom Bell  as Reverend Vincent
Giles Terera  as Elijah McCoy
Samuel Dutton  as Mr. Burton
David Morley Hale  as Mr. Worthington
Amy Marston  as Mrs. Worthington
Nancy Crane  as Gladys
Liza Ross  as Beti
Tim Steed  as Mr. Manesberg
Robert Jezek  as Mr. Faulk
Abigail Johns  as Emily Faulk
Joseph Balderrama  as Horace Kaden
Harry Melling  as Benjamin Vale
Craig Roberts  as Robert Lane
Tom Fisher  as Southwick Brown
Craig Conway  as Warden Durston
Simon Kunz  as Womack
Nick Preston  as Pool Hall Local
Jake Davies  as Pool Hall Local
Donovan Blackwood  as George W. Johnson (as Donovan F. Blackwood)
Brendan Cowell  as Confederate Soldier
Bob Karper  as Photographer
Sam Swann  as Furniture Seller
Garrick Hagon  as Attorney General
Nathan Osgood  as Judge
Turlough Convery  as Rough Looking Man
Josh Finan  as Peter
Ben Mars  as Francis Upton
Brian Ferguson  as Academic
Branwell Donaghey  as Hotel Manager
George Potts  as Man (Elevator)
Colin Stinton  as Daniel Burnham
Simon Lowe  as Mr. Cannon
Philip Philmar  as Schwab (as Philip Phillmar)
Richard Glover  as Mayor Creiger
Evy Frearson  as Dot (Older)
John Pierce Jones  as President Grover Cleveland
Beti B. Gomes-Rejon  as Lady (as Beti Gomez-Rejon)
Maite Gomez-Rejon  as Lady
Harry Moore  as Autograph Son
Daniel Millar  as Autograph Father

Release date

When is The Current War movie release date?

"The Current War" movie release date was scheduled to be on September 9, 2017 (TIFF), on July 26, 2019 (United Kingdom), on September 20, 2019 (Turkey), on October 25, 2019 (United States) and on July 23, 2020 (Germany) distributing by 101 Studios, (United States), Lantern Entertainment, Viva International Pictures, The Weinstein Company, GEM Entertainment, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Diamond Films, 01 Distribution, Entertainment Film Distributors, Flins & Piniculas, Forum Film Poland, Golden Village Pictures, Kadokawa, Leonine Distribution, Odeon, Cinemundo, Concorde Home Entertainment, Film & TV House, HBO Latin America, Noori Pictures and Remain In Light.

Filming

What are The Current War filming details?

The duration of the film is 107 minutes. With a budget of $30 million, the film grossed over $12.3 million.

"The Current War" movie is rated "PG-13", according to the MPAA film rating system.

Principal photography began on December 18, 2016, and took place in London and the surrounding areas, as well as Rothbury, Northumberland, where Cragside House was used as a location.

Rating

What are critics and audiences saying about The Current War movie?

"The Current War" movie got average rating from critics. IMDB rating is 6.5/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating is 31/100.

More information and reviews on "The Current War" movie you can get on the following websites.

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