Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl proved to be the perfect fit when the director tackled the beloved author’s Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009, and now comes the news that he’s returning to that weird and magical world for Netflix’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and he’s taking Benedict Cumberbatch with him.
As reported by The Daily Mail’s entertainment columnist Baz Bamigboye, The French Dispatch director will begin shooting The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar in London very soon, and that Cumberbatch will play the titular character.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was first published in 1977, and is a collection of short stories, two of which are autobiographical in nature; Lucky Break is about the events in his life that led him to become a writer, while A Piece of Cake focuses on Dahl’s time as a fighter pilot in the Second World War. The Boy Who Talked With Animals, The Hitch-Hiker, The Mildenhall Treasure, The Swan, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar make up the rest of the book. It’s a structure that feels as though it would align perfectly with the episodic way in which the Life Aquatic director likes to construct his films.
UPDATE: Deadline is reporting that the film indeed gearing up to shoot next week, with Cumberbatch starring alongside Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley. It’s said the film will feature three stories from the book, although its unclear at this point which two will join Henry Sugar.
Benedict Cumberbatch is currently riding the billion dollar box-office wave from Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as getting serious awards buzz for his performance in one of 2021’s best films, The Power of the Dog, while Anderson is coming off the back off the well-received The French Dispatch, so this could be the perfect sugar high. Marvellous or meh? Let us know what you think of this news by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
