Benedict Cumberbatch reveals plans for long-awaited adaptation

Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed his plans for the upcoming year regarding his acting career.

According to Deadline, the 49-year-old actor shared that he intends to bring the novel "Rogue Male," written by Geoffrey Household, to the screen next year.

He and his company SunnyMarch, first announced plans to adapt the classic novel back in 2016, but the film had yet to enter production.

Speaking on the SmartLess podcast with Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett, Cumberbatch shared an important update.

“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,” he said.

The British actor hinted that scheduling conflicts are partly to blame and quipped about “other huge commitments involving cloaks floating about,” a clear nod to his likely return as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"Rogue Male" was first published in 1939 and centers around 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 explained that the novel’s themes of betrayal and politics are “fascinating how it plays into the political spectrum of what’s going on in the world right now.”

Notably, "Rogue Male" has been adapted before, including a 1977 BBC version starring Peter O’Toole and a 1940 film titled Man Hunt.