Benedict Cumberbatch is one busy guy. As well as currently holding roles in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel, he’s also set to feature in two more TV productions – Patrick Melrose and The Child in Time – as well as a couple of voice roles in Jungle Book and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. That’s not to mention the films that he has due out this year: The Current War and Thor: Ragnarok.
But, even with all of that on his plate, the actor is still taking on more work. Case in point: Variety is reporting today that Cumberbatch has signed on for Gypsy Boy, an adaptation of Mikey Walsh’s memoirs, which will see him playing Frank Walsh, “a demanding father and a member of the last generation of the Romany Gypsy people, known for their ability to fight.” To the Walsh clan, boxing is a religion and when Mikey’s born, he’s “given a pair of golden gloves on a chain to wear around his neck. The pressure for Mikey to become a boxer splits the family, though.”
Speaking about what drew him to the project, Cumberbatch said it was the heartbreaking story and the complexity of Frank that attracted him.
“I was immediately drawn to Mikey’s courageous and heartbreaking story. And his father Frank is unlike any character I’ve played before. He’s a complex man torn between tradition and his love for a son struggling to come to terms with an identity that’s completely at odds with Frank and his culture.”
From what we understand, X+Y director Morgan Matthews will be behind the camera here, working from a script by James Graham. Meanwhile, Dee Koppang O’Leary and Kevin Loader are set to produce. The plan is to start shooting next summer, with the pic now being shopped to buyers at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.
Though it’s still very early days here, Gypsy Boy certainly sounds like an intriguing new project for Cumberbatch, who continues to impress with each and every role he takes on. Though no one else has been cast just yet, with the Sherlock actor now on board, we imagine things will kick into gear pretty quickly.
As always, we’ll let you know as soon as any further updates arise. In the meantime, you can catch Cumberbatch on the big screen in just a few months, as he’ll show up in Thor: Ragnarok to reprise his role as Doctor Strange.
