That WikiLeaks film from DreamWorks that Bill Condon wanted to direct is apparently moving forward, though not with Jeremy Renner starring as was previously thought.
According to Variety, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is locked in to play the role of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and the studio is currently in talks with X-Men: First Class star James McAvoy for the role of Assange's former right-hand man, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left the organization when he came to believe that Assange was no longer operating with any journalistic integrity. Domscheit-Berg's subsequent book, Inside WikiLeaks: My Time With Julian Assange At The World's Most Dangerous Website, is said to be the basis for the film, along with David Leigh and Luke Harding's book, WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War On Secrecy.
Though there's not much info on the film yet, it's thought that Assange will be portrayed as "a noble crusader who eventually becomes drunk with power as he grows increasingly paranoid and obsessed with winning the 'war of information.'" Production is expected to begin next year, and, should McAvoy join the cast, will be built around his filming schedule for the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past.
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[via Variety]
