With the announcement that The Imitation Game will open the BFI London Film Festival this October, The Weinstein Company has released the first full-length trailer for the film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, TV’s Sherlock), Keira Knightley (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Begin Again), Matthew Goode (Stoker), and Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). The film, directed by Norwegian Morten Tyldum (Headhunters), recounts the true story of British mathematician Alan Turing, who was assigned by the British government to try and decrypt the Nazi’s Enigma machine in the midst of World War II.
Although the film details the life of Alan Turing, it appears to be less of a traditional cradle-to-grave biopic and more centered around the specific period of Turing’s time with the British intelligence during the war. The trailer shows Turing (Cumberbatch) being recruited for the war and follows some of the struggles and conflicts he is faced with as he attempts to decode the Nazis. We see Turing as a man who had a somewhat tenuous relationship with many of his co-workers and employers, as well as some of the personal secrets he fought to keep private, and the suspicion this caused.
Turing, although not widely known to American audiences, is a familiar historical figure in Britain and considered by many to be the innovator of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. He is credited with being one of the centerpieces in the Allied victory against the Nazis.
The Weinstein Company is giving The Imitation Game a November 21st release date, which would place it in prime contention for the awards season. Although the film is a British production, TWC has a proven track record in striking awards season gold with overseas projects, having done it most recently with The King’s Speech (United Kingdom) and The Artist (France) in back to back years.
Rory Kinnear (TV’s Penny Dreadful) and Charles Dance (TV’s Game of Thrones) also star in the film. The script was penned by newcomer Graham Moore.
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