Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch tried to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after signing up to play him on the big screen, but insists the notorious internet hacker "was having none of it" and refused to meet him.

The British actor plays the controversial whistleblower in upcoming film The Fifth Estate, but admits he wasn't able to meet the man himself before stepping into his shoes for the role.

Cumberbatch tells Time Out magazine, "I didn't want to hang him out to dry (with my portrayal). I wanted to give a fair account of him. It's a living story, and the moral responsibi...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has launched a scathing attack on Benedict Cumberbatch's Hollywood adaptation of his story, branding the film "lies" and "propaganda".

The Sherlock star plays Assange in The Fifth Estate, a new film based on the story of his whistle blowing website which hit headlines across the globe for leaking top secret and classified documents from military and international government sources.

The first photograph of Cumberbatch in costume as Assange emerged online on Wednesday, the same day the beleaguered Australian journalist addressed students at Britain's pres...

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has signed on to play WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in an upcoming movie about the whistle blowing website.

The Golden Globe-nominated Sherlock star will take the role of the fugitive boss, who is currently living under sanctuary at the Ecuador embassy in London as he fights moves to extradite him to the U.S. and Sweden.

Cumberbatch could be joined onscreen by another British TV favorite, Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens, who is "in negotiation" for a role as a computer hacker in the film, according to industry website Variety.

The as-yet-untitled movi...

Lady Gaga showed her support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday by visiting the embattled editor in London.

The Australian activist was arrested in 2010 and ordered to reside at an address in the U.K. capital as he fights his extradition to Sweden on sex assault charges. However, he broke that condition in June when he moved into the Ecuadorian embassy demanding sanctuary.

Assange has since been granted diplomatic asylum and he was given a boost on Monday evening when the pop star visited him.

The Poker Face hit-maker spent five hours with Assange, and later posted a pictu...

Filmmakers Michael Moore and Ken Loach are set to lose up to $32,000 each after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange broke his bail conditions as he battles extradition from the U.K.

Campaigning director Moore and veteran movie boss Loach were among the public figures who contributed to a $384,000 bond handed over to free Assange after he was held by police in London in 2010.

Assange is wanted in Sweden over allegations he sexually assaulted two women, but he fears the extradition would open the door for his transfer to the U.S. to face charges over his whistleblowing website.

As a condit...

The first episode of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's new TV talk show will air on Russia Today (RT) on Tuesday, April 17. RT is seen by 430 million subscribers worldwide and streams online. "The World Tomorrow" news show will be broadcast simultaneously from Moscow and Washington, D.C., in English, Arabic and Spanish.

"The World Tomorrow" will come from Assange's home in Britain. He has been under house arrest since last spring awaiting a High Court decision regarding his extradition to Sweden - where prosecutors want to question him for alleged sex crimes.

RT said in a news release th...

Embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is the latest in a long line of famous faces to be featured on The Simpsons.

Controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will guest star on The Simpsons next month. Assange has been tapped to lend his voice and image to a guest character appearing on the 500th episode of the long-running animated comedy, Fox confirmed this week.

The Australian-born Assange, 40, will befriend the Simpsons after they are kicked out of their native Springfield, Simpsons producer Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly Monday.

In the episode, the Simpsons -- Homer, Mar...

Steven Spielberg is reportedly working on a movie about the WikiLeaks scandal after buying the rights to a book detailing the inside workings of the whistle-blowing website and its director Julian Assange.

The movie mogul's DreamWorks company has paid for the rights to new book WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy, according to Britain's The Guardian. The tome was published by Guardian Books last month.

The book details the life of Assange, the creation of the site in 2006 and the leaks of classified documents.

Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, sa...