“Fantastic Beasts” star joins Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Current War”

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” star Katherine Waterston has landed the female lead in Weinstein’s “The Current War”, Variety reports.

Benedict Cumberbatch is on board to play Thomas Edison and Michael Shannon is on board to play George Westinghouse.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon will helm the film.

The movie revolves around Edison and Westinghouse’s battle over the supply of electricity. Edison championed the use of a direct current for electric power distribution over an alternating current, which was backed by several European companies and Westinghouse Electric.

TWC will finance and distribute the film.

Timur Bekmambetov, who was originally eyed to direct the movie, will produce alongside Film Rites’ Steve Zaillian and Garrett Basch.

Waterston has a busy year ahead of her with not only “Fantastic Beasts” bowing later this month but the Steven Soderbergh film “Logan Lucky” coming out next year. She is also in the film “Alien Covenant,” which is scheduled for release next summer.

The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.