Andrew Hodges - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Early Oscar Buzz for THE IMITATION GAME

Posted on Monday, September 1st, 2014

We’re delighted to report that THE IMITATION GAME, a movie inspired by Andrew Hodges‘s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA biography of Alan Turing, has been receiving some well-deserved early Oscar buzz! The movie stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, as well as Keira Knightley, Mark Strong and many other great British actors. The buzz has grown, as have the number of great responses, since the film’s screening at the Telluride Film Festival.

Variety reported that the movie is ‘clearly an awards contender: Complex, impeccably executed and unique. The film’s offbeat approach to an oddball character will be its greatest strength…’

Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter wrote that that movie ‘is already being called a cross between A Beautiful Mind (2001) and The King’s Speech (2010), two films that won the best picture Oscar.’ The HR continues, ‘Cumberbatch is perfect… [and] is surrounded in the film by an excellent supporting ensemble… the overall product is interesting, enjoyable and, my gut tells me, the stuff happy Oscar seasons are made of.’ In a separate review, the Hollywood Reporter called the movie ‘Engrossing, nicely textured and sadly tragic… dominating it all is Cumberbatch, whose charisma, tellingly modulated and naturalistic array of eccentricities, Sherlockian talent at indicating a mind never at rest and knack for simultaneously portraying physical oddness and attractiveness combine to create an entirely credible portrait of genius at work.’

Deadline Hollywood‘s review, likewise, declared that THE IMITATION GAME ‘just has Academy Award nominations written all over it’, and in particular singled out the ‘stunning lead actor performance of new Emmy winner Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing.’

Andrew Hodges‘s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published in the UK by Vintage and in the US by Princeton University Press. It has also been published in translation in select other markets (please inquire for details of available rights).

THE IMITATION GAME News and Teaser Trailer!

Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2014

ImitationGame-Still1 — Weinstein/StudioCanal

Here at Zeno Towers, we’re very excited about the upcoming THE IMITATION GAME, the movie adaptation of Andrew Hodges‘s critically-acclaimed ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. Today, we have a number of great pieces of news to share with you.

First up, the BBC has reported that the movie will open the London Film Festival on October 8th at the Odeon Leicester Square. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, with Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode and Rory Kinnear also starring.

The film’s distributor, Studio Canal, has announced that THE IMITATION GAME will receive a wider release in cinemas in the UK on November 14th, 2014.

Most exciting of all, however, is the new teaser trailer, released through Studio Canal’s YouTube channel. You can also watch it below…

There have also been some excellent very early – not to mention unofficial – responses reported, following a secretive test screening in New York. London Film Festival Director Clare Stewart told the BBC that the film featured ‘extraordinary performances’ and that the film ‘does cinematic justice to Alan Turing’s vision, determination and personal story as well as his enduring impact on British history and contemporary life.’ Empire Magazine were able to get their hands on a couple of new stills from the film, one of which includes Charles Dance – perhaps best known to SFF fans as Tywin Lannister in the HBO adapatation of Game of Thrones.

Andrew Hodges‘s biography, ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, is published in the UK by Vintage and in the US by Princeton University Press. It has been translated multiple times for other foreign markets. You can keep up to date on news about the film via its official Twitter account and, of course, here.

Upcoming TURING Event featuring Andrew Hodges

Posted on Monday, June 30th, 2014

On August 17th, Andrew Hodges will give a talk on ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, his critically-acclaimed, definitive biography of the founder of computer science. The event will be held at Bletchley Park.

Here’s how the venue’s description of the event and Hodges’s work:

Hodges tells how Turing’s revolutionary idea of 1936–the concept of a universal machine–laid the foundation for the modern computer and how Turing brought the idea to practical realization in 1945 with his electronic design. How this work was directly related to Turing’s leading role in breaking the German Enigma ciphers during World War II, a scientific triumph that was critical to Allied victory in the Atlantic. At the same time, this is the tragic story of a man who, despite his wartime service, was eventually arrested and forced to undergo a humiliating treatment programme – all for trying to live honestly in a society that defined homosexuality as a crime.

After Andrew’s talk at 14.00, there will be a Q & A Session (15:00) and also a book signing after Tea & Cake.

Tickets for the day are £20 per person, which includes admission to Bletchley Park’s exhibitions and galleries (open from 9:30am). There is also a Bundle Ticket option, for £28, which includes a copy of the book. More information can be found here.

ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published in the UK by Vintage Books, and in the US by Princeton University Press. It has also been translated for other markets. More information can be found on Hodges’s author page. The book is currently being adapted for a film, THE IMITATION GAME, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, due for release later this year. The book was also chosen by Michael Holroyd as part of a list of 50 ‘essential’ books in The Guardian.

Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing & The Pet Shop Boys…

Posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2014

Credits: Vintage Books (Cover), Philadelphia Enquirer (Pet Shop Boys)

On 23 July 2014, the Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) are set to premiere their latest musical work, A MAN FROM THE FUTURE. The piece was written for orchestra, choir, and electronics and will have a narrator using material based on Andrew Hodge‘s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, the critically-acclaimed biography of the wartime code-breaker. Andrew collaborated with Tennant and Lowe on the piece, and the performance incorporates texts and excerpts from Andrew’s book, which will be read by an as-yet-unannounced narrator.

The show will open the season of Late Night Proms in the Albert Hall, London. This particular event has already sold out, but it will of course be broadcast by the BBC. Further details can be found on the Pet Shop Boys’ website.

Speaking about the concert to NME, the Pet Shop Boys said: ‘It is an honour for us to be invited to present some new music at The Proms and to celebrate Alan Turing 60 years after his death.’

A portion of A MAN FROM THE FUTURE has already been performed live: the song ‘He Dreamed of Machines’. Below is a YouTube clip, which includes an introduction about Alan Turing…

More Turing-related music news and information can be found on The Turing Centenary (+ Bicentennial) website. As the site states, ‘Turing has inspired rather a lot of music recently’, and there you can find a number of interesting links.

ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published in the UK by Vintage Books, and in the US by Princeton University Press, and has been translated into multiple languages for publication around the world.

As we have reported before, the biography has also been adapted into a movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (below) and Keira Knightley. Production began last year, and we will share more news about both of these projects as it comes in.

Alan Turing Movie Adaptation Update and Long-Overdue, Posthumous Pardon!

Posted on Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

Above is the first official photograph from the set of The Imitation Game has been released, via the movie’s official Twitter account. The Imitation Game is an adaptation of Zeno client Andrew Hodges‘s critically-acclaimed biography of Alan Turing: ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA.

In related, long-overdue news: Just before Christmas, Queen Elizabeth II issued a posthumous, full pardon to Alan Turing nearly sixty years after the mathematician’s death. Turing, who helped crack the German Enigma code and change the course of the Second World War, is also considered one of the fathers of modern day computing. He was subject to humiliating treatment and punishment before his death because of his sexuality. On March 31st, 1952, Turing pleaded guilty and was convicted of ‘divers [sic] counts of Gross Indecency’. There has been a decades-long campaign to attain a pardon for Turing, and we’re delighted that the Crown and government have finally done so.

ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published by Vintage in the UK and Princeton University Press in the US. It has also been translated in a number of other languages.