Benedict Cumberbatch wants to be rid of Weinstein's 'toxicity' on 'The Current War'

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Apr 24 2018 | 4:40 PM IST

"The Current War", starring Benedict Cumberbatch was one of the films that suffered the most due to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but the actor is "fine" as it will help the film get rid of the "toxicity" of the disgraced producer.

The film, which focuses on the rivalry between legendary scientists Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), has been shelved with no new release date in sight.

"If it takes us not releasing our film for a couple of years just to be rid of that toxicity, I'm fine with that... (He wants to) To step back and be as far removed from that influence as possible, both as filmmaker and as human being," Cumberbatch told The Telegraph.

The actor previously worked with Weinstein on the 2014 film, "The Imitation Game," which received eight nods at the 87th Academy Awards, including Best actor for Cumberbatch.

The actor described Weinstein as "lascivious".

"I wouldn't want to be married to him Gaudy in his tastes, for all his often-brilliant film-making ability," he said.

But the actor made it clear that he knew nothing about Weinsein's alleged sexual transgressions.

"But did I know that was going on? A systematic abuse of women, happening through bribery, coercion, trying to gain empathy, to physical force and threats, physical and to career? No. No.

"That was the true shock. That this has just literally happened. And it's been covered up by an entire body of people through lawsuits and gagging and money hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to silence victims and survivors," he said.

"The Current War", directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, also featured Nicholas Hoult, Katherine Waterston, Tom Holland and Tuppence Middleton. The film received buzz as an early Oscar contender after it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 24 2018 | 4:40 PM IST

Next Story