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First trailer for WikiLeaks film The Fifth Estate

Benedict Cumberbatch channels the whistle-blower.

Benedict Cumberbatch busts out his finest antipodean in this first trailer for 'The Fifth Estate', the film about whistle-blower website WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange.

Judging by this first look – Cumberbatch replete with flowing blond locks – it appears that Bill Condon's take on the real-life events is focusing on making this a thrilling ride.

[Oliver Stone slates forthcoming WikiLeaks films]


Starring Cumberbatch as Assange and Daniel Bruhl as his former spokesperson Daniel Domscheit-Berg (the screenplay is based in part on his book 'Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange and the World's Most Dangerous Website), the action follows him brokering deals with the media and publishing deeply sensitive information from whistle-blowers.

It does, however, also appear to be critical of Assange, but in what measures we'll only find out when it's released in October.

Said director Condon of the film: “It may be decades before we understand the full impact of WikiLeaks and how it's revolutionized the spread of information. So this film won't claim any long view authority on its subject, or attempt any final judgment.

“We want to explore the complexities and challenges of transparency in the information age and, we hope, enliven and enrich the conversations WikiLeaks has already provoked.”

[WikiLeaks biopic star Cumberbatch emails Julian Assange]


Also starring are Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie, while David Thewlis plays The Guardian journalist Nick Davies and 'The Thick of It's Peter Capaldi as Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger.

The DreamWorks production is due out October 11.