In the wake of Alan Turing's royal pardon this week from the British government for his conviction for "gross indecency", Black Bear Pictures has released the first image of Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing in the forthcoming biopic The Imitation Game, The Wrap reports:

Cumberbatch stars as codebreaker and mathematician Turing, who was prosecuted for being homosexual and eventually committed suicide via cyanide poisoning.

Keira Knightley co-stars alongside Matthew Goode, Mark Strong and Charles Dance. Morten Tyldum (“Headhunters”) directed from Graham Moore’s script, which topped the 2011 Black List.

In addition to producers Teddy Schwarzman, Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky, the project boasts a top notch below-the-line team including Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (“Argo”), composer Clint Mansell (“Black Swan”), cinematographer Oscar Faura (“The Impossible”) and production designer Maria Djurkovic (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”).

Said Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, announcing the pardon: "Dr Alan Turing was an exceptional man with a brilliant mind. His brilliance was put into practice at Bletchley Park during the second world war, where he was pivotal to breaking the Enigma code, helping to end the war and save thousands of lives. His later life was overshadowed by his conviction for homosexual activity, a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed. Dr Turing deserves to be remembered and recognised for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science. A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man."