Benedict Cumberbatch Spy Drama ‘The Courier’ Lands August Release Date

From supersleuth Sherlock Holmes to genius Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t running out of highly intelligent and interesting characters any time soon. Now, he’s adding cold war spy to that long list in his new film The Courier.

The cold war drama formerly titled Ironbark premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Now, Lionsgate and sister company Roadside Attractions have greenlighted an August theatrical release date. Excited fans and moviegoers can expect to see the film on August 28, 2020.

The Courier is based on the true story of an unassuming businessman, Greville Wynne (Cumberbatch). He and his wife set out leading a quite, simply English life. However, when the rumblings of a mole in the Soviet Union government reach the British Intelligence, Greville is called upon by his country precisely because of his ordinariness. He is recruited into one of the biggest international conflicts in history. And at the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative, Greville forms a covert and dangerous partnership with Soviet Officer Oleg Penkovsky in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation. As his efforts to end the Cuban Missile Crisis deepen, however, he forges an unbreakable bond with Penkovsky. This is soon put to the test as the Soviets close in on the plot.

On Chesil Beach director David Cooke directed the film from a script by Tom O’Connor. Aside from Cumberbatch, the cast also includes Rachel Brosnahan and Merab Ninidze as the CIA operative and Penkovsky respectively.

“I was sent the script by my agent along with a bunch of other scripts and it just stood out from the rest so immediately,” Cooke tells The Wrap in an interview with the cast.

“I think it kind of takes you into a very different place in terms of the espionage movie in that it’s much more of an emotional relationship based story about the cost of heroism and the cost of acting for the greater good, and all of the key characters pay a big price for what they do,” he added.

“Theaters have indicated gradual openings this ​summer, with health and safety guiding the way. If everything proceeds favorably, we feel the true spy thriller The Courier with a must-see performance by Benedict Cumberbatch, is just the type of film that will have audiences excited to return to their local cinemas in late August,” Roadside co-president Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff said in a statement.

The Courier is a 42 M&P, SunnyM​arch, and FilmNation Entertainment ​production.