As a number of online outlets report, Wes Anderson is returning to the world of Roald Dahl with a new adaptation of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar for Netflix. The key role will go to the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
Deadline adds that other key roles will go to Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, and Ben Kingsley.
Published in 1977, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar tells the tale of a wealthy man who gains the power to see through things after sewing his eyes shut. He uses his newfound ability to win large sums of money playing cards, but he soon comes to realize that more than his eyes have been changed by the procedure.
The Wonderful Story will be Anderson’s second time adapting one of Dahl’s works. In 2009, he turned the author’s children’s novel Fantastic Mr. Fox into a thrilling stop-motion animated feature starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and more.
According to Consequence of Sound, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar also marks the first project to come out of Netflix’s acquisition of Roald Dahl’s catalog last September. At the time of the purchase, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said the streamer intended to create a “unique universe across animated and live-action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theater, consumer products and more.”
