Few actors working in Hollywood today are juggling as many projects as Benedict Cumberbatch – save for maybe Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Fresh off his title role in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, the British thesp has signed on to reprise as the Sorcerer Supreme in both Thor: Ragnarok and next year’s marquee ensemble movie, Avengers: Infinity War. And that’s before you factor in the more drama-oriented fair such as The Current War and Andy Serkis’ long-delayed Jungle Book movie, the latter of which will see Cumberbatch play the iconic role of Shere Khan – no relation to his villain from Star Trek Into Darkness, of course.
It looks likely that Benedict Cumberbatch will have to carve out room on that bustling slate for another project, too, with Deadline reporting today that the actor has entered talks to become The Man In The Rockefeller Suit for Fox Searchlight. Negotiations are ongoing, but we understand David Bar Katz is tasked with adapting the eponymous novel by Mark Seal. No word of a director just yet, but Deadline notes that the project is considered a top priority for the studio, so expect to learn more about Cumberbatch’s deal one way or the other very soon indeed.
Assuming the necessary pieces fall into place, the Sherlock actor will take point as Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, an “imposter who conned his way into various jobs on Wall Street – as well as a marriage – by posing as a member of the Rockefeller family. After entering rarefied social circles, his past finally caught up with him and he feared losing custody of his only daughter.” Even from that logline alone, it’s clear The Man In The Rockefeller Suit comes packing plenty of dramatic material for Benedict Cumberbatch to sink his teeth into.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest as this story develops, and in the meantime, you can look forward to Doctor Strange cropping up for a cameo role in Thor: Ragnarok come November.