This weekend, box office pundits will be tuning into the battle of the Benedicts, as beloved TV and movie star Benedict Cumberbatch stars in both 12 Years A Slave and The Fifth Estate. It'll definitely be weird for him, especially since the former, in which he plays a slave owner, is projected to perform well, and the latter — a starring vehicle centering on WikiLeaks whistleblower Julian Assange — is expected to flop. How is one to supposed to feel when the movie you're leading bombs and the one you have a supporting role in goes from 1 to Oscar contender in no time flat? Cumberbatch is one classy dude, but having to contend with conflicting success and failure can't be easy, even for the most effortless guy in the world.
So how will he play this situation? Will he mourn the sad failure of what has become a drama-riddled production process on The Fifth Estate ? Or will he celebrate the success of 12 Years A Slave, which, despite its limited run in theaters, is already getting Oscar buzz and glowing reviews?
We have to imagine the gifted actor will do both. He'll be contrite and saddened for his Fifth Estate cast mates, but you bet your ass he'll be out the door pulling a Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses-type move that involves an outfit change in a cab, a spirited jig, and a bomb-ass, shenanigan-filled 12 Years A Slave cast party that will begin within a minute of him shedding his first ironic tear of the night. Here's to hoping he accidentally runs into the party wearing a sari, just to fulfill that whole 27 Dresses metaphor I had going before. (Hey, a girl can dream.)
At the end of the day, however, success is success, and although The Fifth Estate might not do spectacularly in theaters, it did receive many excellent reviews from the press, so Cumberbatch can at least hold that close to his heart as he sprints headlong in a tux between his two engagements. Of course, the only thing that could dampen the actor's "I'm an awesome star" parade is if Gravity surprises us all and wins the Oscar instead. And goddamn it, us Cumberbitches will never let that happen.
