TK: Institutional Context - The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game (Tyldum, 2014) is a historical biographical drama thriller film based on the life of Alan Turing. The film was bought by The Weinstein Company for a sum of $7 million in February 2014, and made a huge turnover of $227 million from its $14 million budget.

Production:

• Originally, the script was bought out with the knowledge that Leonardo DiCaprio might play the lead role.
• Black Bear funded the entire $14 million budget, making it a co production with The Weinstein Company.
• Principal photography began on 15 September 2013 in England. Filming locations included many historically relevant places such as Turing's former school, and Bletchley park, where he worked during the war.
• The principle photography started on 15th of September 2013, and ended just over a month later in November of the same year.
• The Bombe seen in the film was constructed from a replica of the original device, however prop designers chose to make it larger, and expose more of the inner workings to create a more dramatic set piece.
• The $7 million paid for the film was the highest amount ever paid for US distribution rights for a film aimed at a European market.

Distribution:

• The film had a unique interactive marketing campaign that utilised Web 2.0. Users could complete a crossword puzzle created by Turing himself, and be in with a chance of winning a trip to Bletchley park in London.
• A large number of high quality photographs of characters and props from the film were released near the start of the advertising campaign. These featured Cumberbatch in character as Turing along with the prop replica of the Bombe.
• There was a year long exhibition held in Bletchley park, that featured the replica Bombe used in the film, and other props and costumes used in the film.
• The Imitation Game's theatrical release was split over the UK and US, releasing primarily in Britain in October 2014, appearing in limited US release on November 28th, before debuting nationwide on Christmas day of that same year.