It looks like we'll have to keep waiting for the reunion between "Atonement" and "Starter For 10" stars Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy. While it was just a few weeks ago that it was reported the pair would team for the Bill Condon-directed WikiLeaks movie, it looks like McAvoy has moved on.
THR reports that Daniel Bruhl ("Inglourious Basterds," "Joyeux Noel," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Goodbye Lenin!") has replaced the actor in the film. Simply put, it's down to scheduling as McAvoy can't work around his commitments for "X-Men: Days of Future Past," as DreamWorks wants to get this movie up and running in January. Based on the books "Inside WikiLeaks: My Time With Julian Assange At The World's Most Dangerous Website" and "WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War On Secrecy," and penned by Josh Singer ("The West Wing," "Fringe"), the film will present Assange as a whistleblower who apparently let power get to his head and let the ethics of his work slide, much to the chagrin of his right hand man Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Bruhl), who also just happened to write that 'Inside Julian Assange' book. Hmm…
Meanwhile, despite The Wrap's claims that Laura Linney was in talks for a role, THR says there have been no negotiations or offers, but there is "interest" in having her play a CIA officer of some kind. So, we'll see. But this is a nice role for Bruhl, who will be making quite an impression in 2013 with big parts in Ron Howard's racing drama "Rush" and Anton Corbijn's thriller "A Most Wanted Man."
The guy is called Daniel Brühl. I think every actor in the world can expect his name to be written correctly.
Very wise move, Mr McAvoy…
Apparently, Wikileaks has already suggested a title for this movie. They're calling it Dreamworks' ANTI-Wikileaks movie. Hmm. Not a good sign.
Maybe that's because Daniel Domscheit-Berg's book, which this film will be based on, is full of self-promoting – but easily spottable – lies. According to Der Spiegel, Domscheit-Berg is also heavily involved in the film's production as a consultant.
This is the man who sabotaged the Wikileaks submission platform, stole money and unpublished whistleblower submissions from them, conducted endless interviews smearing Julian Assange, publicised where the passphrase to the unredacted cableset could be found (David Leigh, Guardian journalist's book chapter title!!!) and, to cap it all, DESTROYED 3,500 unpublished document that whistleblowers had submitted to Wikileaks, risking all to get the truth out to the public.
Doubtless this is the man who this film will portray as the noble hero of information transparency, while Assange is portrayed as an narcisist and meglomaniac. The truth turned upsidedown.
Funnily enough here's a photo of Cumberbatch and Mcavoy from today. They are recording Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for the BBC.
http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/36745346506/this-just-arrived-in-my-inbox-they-are-recording