Netflix has tapped Wes Anderson to direct an adaptation of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl. This will be the second Dahl adaptation for the director, his first being The Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009.
The collection of seven short stories published in 1977 was written for older children than his previous works. Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as the titular lead character, and the focus of one of the seven stories. “If you could see with your eyes closed … Would you use your power for good or for personal gain? That’s what Henry has to decide in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”
Other stories in the novel include: “A giant turtle and a very special boy who can talk to animals, a cunning hitchhiker and the curious driver who picks him up, and a very lucky plowman who finds a fabulous fortune but loses a golden opportunity are only a few of the characters you’ll meet” per the official book synopsis.
Other cast members in unknown roles include Dev Patel (The Green Knight), Ralph Fiennes (The King’s Man), and Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings).
Netflix acquired the rights to Dahl’s complete catalog last September, with Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet as a younger version of the candy maker already in production and an adaptation of the musical Matilda starring Emma Thompson also in the works. Three animated television series from famed filmmaker Taika Waititi are also in development, two based around Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Oompa Loompas, and a third based on The Twits.
Production of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is set to begin soon and is expected to be an anthology, just like the novel.
