The 'Fifth Estate' actor plays the late British gay codebreaker who was criminally prosecuted due to his sexual orientation.
- December 27, 2013
AceShowbiz -
The first official still from "The Imitation Game" has landed online. It shows Benedict Cumberbatch playing Alan Turing, a genius mathematician who cracked Nazi Germany's Enigma code during World War II. Not only did his research and design help shorten the length of conflict but it also paved the way for future ideas in computer science.
Regardless of his groundbreaking invention, Turing was criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality and sentenced to chemical castration. The pioneer died days before his 42nd birthday in apparent suicide. Decades after his death, he was given a posthumous Royal Pardon. The British government made an official public apology for "the appalling way he was treated."
"In honor of today's Royal Pardon, please find the first still released from the upcoming film, The Imitation Game," reads a message accompanying the picture uploaded on Twitter.
The British historical drama is expected to be released sometime in 2014. It is supported by the likes of Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Allen Leech and Matthew Beard. The film's script topped the Black List for best unproduced Hollywood scripts of 2011.
