Star Trek Into Darkness star Benedict Cumberbatch is in negotiations to star in The Imitation Game for director Morten Tyldum (Headhunters).

The actor will portray British mathematician Alan Turing, who helped the Allies defeat the Germans in World War II by cracking the complex "Enigma Code" used by the Germans. In the 1950s, he was prosecuted by the British government for being a homosexual. He made the extreme decision to undergo chemical castration instead of going to prison, which demoralized him so much that he committed suicide by eating an apple dosed with cyanide.

Graham Moore wrote the screenplay, which landed atop the Black List in 2011. The project was initially set up at Warner Bros. as a starring vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio, with J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed) directing. A deal was never made, though, with the rights reverting back to the screenwriter. A distributor has not been found yet, but if Benedict Cumberbatch's deal gets finalized soon, don't be surprised if the film finds a studio home in the very near future. No production schedule was given.