TORONTO — Tom Hiddleston is taking over Benedict Cumberbatch's role in Guillermo Del Toro's gothic romance film Crimson Peak, it was announced on Friday, but there's no bad blood between the two English stars.
"The thing is we're really good friends, and as soon as Guillermo called, I called Benedict and I said this is happening, and he was like, 'Amazing!'" Hiddleston told BuzzFeed on Friday, soon after the news was announced. "So, I had his blessing."
Once Cumberbatch — whose exit from the movie was announced in late August — gave the thumbs up, it was an easy decision.
"As these things do, they sent me the script about two weeks ago and it was a very new draft," Hiddleston explained. "I know Mia [Wasikowska], who I'll be playing with very closely, and I know Jessica Chastain very well. I've met Guillermo before. And we are all admirers of each others' stuff. And everyone said yes! I'm really, really excited about it. I'll be shooting here in Toronto in February."
Hiddleston is in Toronto at the moment to promote another gothic romance, Jim Jarmusch's film Only Lovers Left Alive, which co-stars Wasikowska, Tilda Swinton, and Anton Yelchin. Having worked with both Cumberbatch (on Star Trek Into Darkness) and Hiddleston, Yelchin — who was sitting next to the latter star during the interview — was asked which Englishman had a crazier fan base.
Yelchin played it safe, punting on the eternal Hiddlestoners vs. Cumberbitches question.
"Oh I don't know," he said, shrugging as Hiddleston laughed. "It's funny, I missed all of Star Trek press because I was working so it's hard for me to say. it'd be a funny battle, you leading one legion and Benedict the other."
"We rode into battle together once upon a time," Hiddleston said, "in War Horse."
