EXCLUSIVE: Fresh from the packaging Jurassic World: Domain, Colin Trevorrow is set to direct War Wizard, a Studiocanal drama from World War II that will star Benedict Cumberbatch. E. Nicholas Mariani is writing the script, based on the book by David Fisher.
Pic is based on the wild story of Jasper Maskelyne, a British illusionist who used magic to defeat Erwin Rommel in World War II. Trevorrow’s version features an international “magic gang” from Africa, Europe and the Middle East who conspired with Maskelyne and a military intelligence officer to defeat the Nazis.
Pic is produced by Bob Cooper of Landscape Entertainment, Cumberbatch of SunnyMarch, Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland, Tony Eldridge of Lonetree and Richard Saperstein of Bluestone. Joining as producers are Trevorrow and his Metronome Films. Ron Halpern and Shana Eddy of Studiocanal are supervising with Jeff Gernert and Annys Hamilton of Metronome. The first drafts of the script were written by Richard Cordiner and Gary Whitta.
Trevorrow’s metronome is based in the UK, where he filmed Jurassic World: Domain. At Universal, the company is developing Atlantis and Space Opera, the last of which Marc Platt is producing with Trevorrow.
Trevorrow is represented by Verve.