AceShowbiz - Benedict Cumberbatch is hopeful the delayed release of his film "The Current War" will end its association with its disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. The feature, which stars the British actor as American inventor Thomas Edison, was originally scheduled for release last autumn and was touted as a possible Oscar contender.

However, the movie's release was postponed and then shelved indefinitely after dozens of actresses came forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. And Cumberbatch hopes delaying the film's release will remove the stigma of its association with the movie mogul, who produced it via his The Weinstein Company firm.

"If it takes us not releasing our film for a couple of years just to be rid of that toxicity, I'm fine with that," the "Doctor Strange" star told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "To step back and be as far removed from that influence as possible, both as filmmaker and as human being."

Since the allegations surfaced against Weinstein, who also produced "The Imitation Game", which earned Cumberbatch an Oscar nomination, his old company has filed for bankruptcy with the organisation's remaining assets due to be auctioned off to bidders next month.