Casting is truly beginning to heat up on The Current War, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s period drama that chronicles the legal spat between George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison during the late 1880s.
Michael Shannon and Doctor Strange himself Benedict Cumberbatch have already slotted into the main roles of Westinghouse and Edison, respectively, and last we reported Nicholas Hoult was on the verge of landing the part of Nikola Tesla. No development on that front just yet, but Deadline does bring confirmation that Fantastic Beasts star Katherine Waterston has come aboard as Marguerite Erskine, Westinghouse’s better half.
The casting news doesn’t end there, though; just today, a second Deadline scoop reveals that Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Tom Holland has opened negotiations to join The Current War as Samuel Insull, Edison’s right-hand man who becomes embroiled in the debate concerning electric power distribution across the United States. Finally, Sienna Miller is said to be in the mix for another, undisclosed role, though it’s believed those talks are in the very early stages.
Casting light on Westinghouse and Edison’s public feud over alternating and direct current, The Current War is off to a flyer in the casting department, and the addition of Waterston – along with the possibility of Holland and Sienna Miller – only continues that momentum. It’s another exciting role for the actress, too, who has not only lined up Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts, but NASCAR heist film Logan Lucky and Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott’s horror sequel that’s on course for August of next year.
The Weinstein Company is expected to jump-start production on The Current War in early 2017.