By Lacy Baugher for Movies on July 31st, 2013

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange in First Trailer for 'The Fifth Estate'

Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Bruhl in "The Fifth Estate". (Photo: Frank Connor/Dreamworks)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Bruhl in "The Fifth Estate". (Photo: Frank Connor/Dreamworks)
Ever since the news broke that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch had signed on to play the infamous Julian Assange in a major film for Dreamworks, fans the world over have been desperate to see what the final product would look like. Well, now we can get our first look – the trailer for That WikiLeaks Movie is finally here!

Called The Fifth Estate, the film tells the story of WikiLeaks founder Assange and the 2006 launch of the controversial website, which was ostensibly meant to hold governments accountable for their actions by providing the public with access to confidential intelligence documents. Assange remains a polarizing figure today for a variety of reasons and is currently still living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, in order to avoid extradition orders from both Sweden and the United States.

Despite the (admittedly a bit creepy) blonde wig, it’s clear Cumberbatch has spent some time watching videos of Assange giving speeches, because he has so many of his mannerisms down pat. This already appears to be a frighteningly uncanny portrayal.

Get your first look at the official trailer for The Fifth Estate below: 

The fantastic ensemble cast includes Daniel Bruhl, David Thewlis, Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Peter Capaldi, as well as Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens (though he doesn’t appear in this trailer.)

The screenplay is based on two books: Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website and WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy. The real Assange is apparently already not a fan of the film, calling it a “massive propaganda attack” according to The Guardian.

The film looks likes a surefire awards contender, and has already been chosen to open the prestigious Toronto Film Festival in September. The film will then be released –probably in a limited capacity to start with – beginning October 11.

What say you? Interested in seeing The Fifth Estate?

By Lacy Baugher for Movies on July 31st, 2013
Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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