2013 was a big year for fans of Benedict Cumberbatch; the star appeared in several memorable such as The Fifth Estate, August: Osage County, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and of course 12 Years a Slave. His upcoming slate includes The Imitation Game, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Magik, The Penguins of Madagascar and Flying Horse, and now Screen Daily is reporting he’ll also be in an adaptation of The Yellow Birds, a novel by Kevin Powers.
The book follows two young privates, Bartle and Murphy, who struggle to survive at war, bound by a promise to help each other make it home. Given the ages of the characters (21 and 18), it’s likely Cumberbatch will play a supporting character, as opposed to a leading role. Tye Sheridan (Joe) and Will Poulter (We’re the Millers) are likely candidates to be the two privates, and leading the film is David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints).
This certainly seems like a project worth keeping an eye on.
Originally published May 23, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
