Wes Anderson has reportedly lined up his next project, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar for Netflix. Anderson’s also apparently lined up his leading man, none other than the inimitable Benedict Cumberbatch, who’ll allegedly be playing the titular Henry Sugar.
Now it’s worth noting to take this with a pinch of salt (not sugar), none of the trades has confirmed the news yet. The report comes from a Daily Mail journalist Baz Bamigboye, and there’s been no official word from Cumberbatch, Anderson, or Netflix about the stories validity. Still, if it is true it’s quite exciting.
A lesser-known work of Dahl, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, is from a collection of seven short stories – serendipitously titled ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More’ – and is a mixture of fiction and true stories. A more adult tale than Dahl’s typical work, the story is about Henry Sugar, a wealthy gambler who masters an ancient technique that allows him to see through objects.
Sugar uses his extraordinary powers to cheat at cards and make himself wealthy, but he eventually grows weary of his money and decides to become a philanthropist – he just needs one last big score. So off, Henry goes to Las Vegas to win more money than ever before, but the Mafia who run the casinos have other ideas.
#WesAnderson directs another @roald_dahl tale of the unexpected following his 2009 animated adaptation of Dahl’s Fantastic https://t.co/0VcurohRbS. Dir will film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar for @NetflixFilm with #BenedictCumberbatch as Sugar.Shoots in London v soon. pic.twitter.com/WRFm7ejLpz
— Baz Bamigboye 💙 (@BazBam) January 6, 2022
Henry Sugar would be Wes Anderson’s second Dahl adaptation, he previously directed Fantastic Mister Fox. That bodes well for the film’s chances, as Fantastic Mister Fox received a nomination from the Academy Award for Best Animated movie (it didn’t win) but it’s undeniable that Anderson and Dahl’s respective styles seem to mesh well.
Apparently, Henry Sugar is set to begin filming this year which is quite remarkable considering how busy Cumberbatch is at the moment. The Sherlock star has been on something of a tear recently appearing in the awards contender Power of the Dog, the wonderful Electrical Life of Louis Wane, and the biggest movie of 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This year he’ll be even busier it seems, he’ll be busy with awards press for the first three months of the year, then he’s got Doctor Strange 2 to promote, then he might be filming with Anderson. I guess there’s no rest for the famous!