'The Current War' Trailer Previews Battle Between Electricity Giants Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse
The Weinstein Company has released the trailer for the movie "The Current War," which stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Nicholas Hoult.
The trailer opened with a man putting out his gas light before numerous light bulbs turn on to reveal Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch) in the middle.
"I'm so full of ideas, it will take me 12 lifetimes to execute them," the inventor says. "I'm working on something now - something so new that the world will never be the same."
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Of course, as history indicates, Edison was the one who invented the light bulb. He was also one of the people involved in the War of Currents, which is the focus of the upcoming film. On the other end of that war is George Westinghouse (Shannon), the businessman.
The two competitors established their own companies. History buffs know that the war between Edison and Westinghouse spanned several years, with both men competing to power the world.
The trailer previewed that very war and the world's transition from relying on gas to electricity. It also gave a brief glimpse of Edison demanding to sue Westinghouse. It is known that the two filed many patents and lawsuits to get ahead in the game. Edison's tactic to spread false accusations about alternating current was also seen in the trailer.
The final scene in the trailer introduced Nikola Tesla (Hoult), whose self-described profession is to "fix problems for idiots."
"Though he may be unfamiliar to you, his studies have demonstrated an understanding of electrical matters unlike anyone I have ever known," a man said about Tesla, who is known to have worked for Edison before taking his alternating current idea to Westinghouse because he was underappreciated by his former employer.
Should the film follow history, then Westinghouse's alternating current will win the battle against Edison's direct current, with the latter being forced out of his own company.
"The Current War" will premiere on Nov. 24.
Watch the trailer below:
