It has been nearly a decade-and-a-half since Wes Anderson last adapted one of Roald Dahl’s timeless stories and made the incredible stop-motion animated movie that was Fantastic Mr. Fox. At long last, the visionary director known for quirky stories and awe-inspiring shots is adapting another one of Dahl’s books for the screen, and this time it’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
At some point in the very near future, anyone with a Netflix subscription will get to see what Anderson and his small yet star-studded cast have in store with the short film based on one of the author’s darker collections of stories. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation.
What Is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Release Date?
Wes Anderson fans will be treated to two releases in the span of a few months, as The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is set to hit the streamer at some point by the end of the 2023, Netflix announced earlier in the year. We don’t yet have an exact date as of June 2023, but we should know more about the filmmaker’s followup to Asteroid City in the coming weeks and months.
Benedict Cumberbatch Leads The Star-Studded Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar Cast
Anderson is known for pulling together large ensemble casts for his best movies, with some titles featuring a couple dozen or more actors playing all types of characters. But, when The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is released before the year’s end, it will see a much smaller (yet just as talented) group of actors on screen.
Back in January 2022, Deadline announced that Benedict Cumberbatch would be leading the cast as the titular Henry Sugar, with Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, and Ben Kingsley all appearing in undisclosed roles. Just a few days later, the outlet would go on to reveal that Rupert Friend and Richard Ayoade would round out the cast.
The filmmaker has a habit of calling on the same group of actors for each of his productions, but only two from the upcoming 2023 Netflix movie – Fiennes and Friend – have appeared in at least one of his prior movies.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar Will Be Split Into Multiple Chapters Focusing On Some Of Roald Dahl's Darker Characters
Similar to The French Dispatch with its various sections and endings, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar will be split into multiple chapters based on stories from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name. When speaking with Variety in May 2023, Rupert Friend, who was part of one of the most random scenes in Asteroid City, revealed some details about the upcoming release:
It could change, but when we made it, there were four stories drawn from a Roald Dahl [short story collection], which are his slightly darker, twisted ones that he wrote for adults. Wes took four of them and put together a smaller troupe of actors: myself, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, and Richard Ayoade. We each play in around two of the stories and kind of change roles. I think Ralph might be in all of them.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi cast-member went on to reveal that he’d be in “The Ratcatcher” and “The Swan.” He didn’t provide too many details about his performance, but Friend admitted that the film “was a dream come true,” and that he “grew up completely obsessed with Dahl.”
About Roald Dahl's Collection Of Short Stories
Originally published in 1977, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is a collection of seven short stories that were all written at various times in Roald Dahl’s life. The stories range from fiction to autobiographical and saw the acclaimed children’s book writer tell tales that were aimed at older audiences, opposed to his classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The BFG.
The collection includes stories like the account of a boy who could talk to animals, a mysterious hitchhiker, a man who has the ability to see without his eyes, and other tales of mystery and magic. It remains in publication, and can be picked up at online retailers like Amazon and countless others that offer classic books for sale.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar Will Be 37 Minutes Long
Those expecting to see a feature-length film with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar should go in knowing that the upcoming release won’t be nearly as long as Anderson’s other projects. In a June 2023 interview with IndieWire, the director touched on how, despite long wanting to adapt the Dahl collection of stories for the screen, he had trouble coming up with the approach. But, then he had his eureka moment:
It’s a 37-minute movie, [Netflix] was the perfect place to do it because it’s not really a movie. You know they used to do these BBC things called ‘Play for Today’ directed by people like Steven Frears and John Schlesinger and Alan Clarke. They were one hour programs or even less. I kind of envisioned something like that.
Another factor that helped with the 37-minute runtime was Netflix’s 2021 acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company, which has made the streamer the home for many of the late author’s adaptations, per The Hollywood Reporter. Anderson went on to explain that there would never be distribution for a short film in a traditional cinema setting.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar Was Shot On 16MM Film
Wes Anderson and his creative team have never shied away from messing with the aspect ratios, colors, and film stocks used in each of his movies, and that appears to be the case once more. In a June 2023 interview with The Film Stage, cinematographer Robert Yeoman, who has worked extensively with Anderson in the past, revealed that the upcoming Netflix movie was shot on 16mm film, which gave it “such a distinct look.”
Yeoman went on to say that Henry Sugar is “a little bit different style” than what Anderson has done in the past, adding that it was mostly filmed on a stage with forced perspective.
Expect to hear more about The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar in the weeks and months to come. But in the meantime, don’t forget to check out our 2023 movie schedule to see what else is coming your way before year’s end.
