Benedict Cumberbatch reveals plans for 2026

Benedict Cumberbatch is moving forward with plans to finally bring Rogue Male to the screen. 

The actor confirmed that the adaptation is still happening and that he hopes to begin filming in 2026, years after first announcing the project.

Cumberbatch and his company SunnyMarch revealed back in 2016 that they planned to adapt Geoffrey Household’s classic novel, but the film has not yet entered production. 

Speaking on the SmartLess podcast with Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett, Cumberbatch shared an update and said, “We haven’t got a filming date yet, but it’s something we’re trying to slate for next year. We will make it, definitely.”

The actor hinted that scheduling conflicts are a factor and joked about “other huge commitments involving cloaks floating about,” which strongly suggested he will return as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rogue Male was first published in 1939 and tells the story of an unnamed English hunter who attempts to assassinate a European dictator believed to be Adolf Hitler. 

After being captured and tortured, he manages to escape back to England, only to be hunted by enemy agents and his own government.

Cumberbatch described the book as “the original fugitive novel and a huge inspiration for Ian Fleming for Bond.” 

He said that when he and his team first discussed adapting it, they questioned whether it was “a bit of a guy’s film.” But as they dug deeper into the themes and the character’s journey, it became clear how relevant the story still feels today. 

He explained that the thriller’s ideas about betrayal and politics are “fascinating how it plays into the political spectrum of what’s going on in the world right now.”

When the project was first revealed, writer Michael Lesslie was brought on board to pen the screenplay, and the film was set up at Fox Searchlight with Cumberbatch in the lead role. 

The novel has been adapted before, including a 1977 BBC version starring Peter O’Toole and a 1940 film titled Man Hunt.