Keira Knightley Joins Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Imitation Game'

Once a project being circled by Leonardo DiCaprio and Ron Howard, Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game has had a rough path to the big screen. Warner Bros. and DiCaprio's Appian Way backed out, and the film was left in development Hell, but with a promising Black List script by Graham Moore and solid source material to work with, it was only a matter of time before it was revived. That happened in rather impressive fashion when Morten Tyldum (Headhunters) signed on to direct, quickly followed by word that Benedict Cumberbatch was considering the lead. Not only has he now been confirmed, but a talented leading lady will be joining him.

Variety reports that Keira Knightley is in talks to join the film in an unspecified role, giving the film a starpower boost that was sorely needed as Cumberbatch is still an unproven draw. Based on Andrew Hodges' novel Alan Turing: The Enigma, the story will follow the famed mathematician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist whose study of algorithms and code-breaking skills were pivotal to the Allies in WWII. His work led to the creation of the Turing Machine, a pre-cursor to the modern day computer. All of his successes didn't stop him from being criminally prosecuted as a homosexual, and with his personal and professional life ruined, he would commit suicide in 1954.

Knightly will be seen later this year opposite Chris Pine in Jack Ryan, and has John Carney's music-industry drama Can A Song Save Your Life?