After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the Ethan Hawke (First Reformed)-led biopic Tesla has been acquired by IFC Films for an August 7 release, according to Variety.
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The film, written and directed by Michael Almerevda (Hamlet), follows inventor Nikola Tesla (Hawke) as he fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition. Increasingly displeased by the greed of fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks), Tesla forges his own virtuous but arduous path toward creating the innovative alternate-current motor. His European nature is at odds with budding American industrialism and the landscape of intellectual property is treacherous and Tesla slowly becomes jailed in his overactive mind. His associate, Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson, The Knick), analyzes and presents his story as it unfolds, offering a distinctly modern voice in this scientific period drama.
In addition to Hawke, Hewson and MahLachlan, the cast for Tesla features Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show) as entrepreneur George Westinghouse, Donnie Keshawarz (The Wolf of Wall Street), Rebecca Dayan (Celeste & Jesse Forever), Josh Hamilton (Eighth Grade) and Lucy Walters (Power).
“It’s always a cause for celebration for IFC Films to work with Ethan, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the legendary Michael Almereyda and the rest of this amazing cast to bring this unique and extraordinary film to US audiences this summer,” Arianna Bocco, EVP of acquisitions and productions at IFC Films, said in a statement.
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Tesla will be produced by IFC Films alongside Millennium Media, Uri Singer of Passage Pictures, Christa Campbell and Lati Grobham of Campbell-Grobman Films and Isen Robbins of Intrinsic Value Films and will debut on August 7.
