Benedict Cumberbatch To Take On Alan Turing Role?

Benedict Cumberbatch To Take On Alan Turing Role?

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch looks set to take on the role of World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing in an upcoming biopic about the Bletchley Park genius, Deadline have revealed.

Initially it had been thought that Leonardo Dicaprio would be the man to take on Turing in the adaptation of Graham Moor's book The Imitation Game, but given his recent declaration that he is to take a step back from filming for the time being, it looks as though Cumberbatch may be the man for the job.

2001's Enigma was the last film to concentrate on the war-winning efforts of the Bletchley Park decryption centre workers, although in that film Turing, a homosexual criminalised for his sexual preferences in 1952, was writen out in favour of a heterosexual character named Jericho. A move that drew grave criticism from critics and Turing-enthusiasts alike.

Meanwhile, Cumberbatch has a busy filming schedule ahead already with a starring role as the villainous John Harrison in the new Star Trek film, Star Trek: Into Darkness, as well as portraying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a film about his life titled The Fifth Estate. The Fifth Estate is scheduled to open in the US on November 15, but the UK release date has yet to be confirmed, whilst the Star Trek sequel will be released on May 17.

Watch the trailer for Star Trek: Into Darkness below.