Wes Anderson's Second Film Of 2023 Is Hitting Netflix Soon
Wes Anderson may have already released his 11th feature film this year in the form of "Asteroid City," but the filmmaker isn't done yet as he's got another project up his sleeve — one that will be making its way to Netflix very soon. This time, Anderson is taking on a classic story from the mind of Roald Dahl in the form of "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." We don't have a trailer just yet, but we've got a new poster (which you can check out below) and a release date.
Anderson's adaptation of Dahl's short story is set to hit Netflix on September 27 following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Even though it's just a short film, clocking in at 39 minutes, the respected director was able to line up a murderer's row of talent in front of the camera including Benedict Cumberbatch ("Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"), who is front-and-center on the poster. The ensemble also includes Ralph Fiennes ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), Dev Patel ("The Green Knight"), Ben Kingsley ("Shutter Island"), and Richard Ayoade ("Paddington 2").
Netflix acquired the rights to the Roald Dahl Story Company back in 2021, intending to adapt the author's works in various forms for subscribers to enjoy. Now, Anderson gets to put his signature stamp on this universe. The brief logline for the short reads as follows:
A beloved Roald Dahl story about a rich man who learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
Wes Anderson, busy as ever
When Netflix acquired the rights to the works of Roald Dahl, it seemed easy to imagine new adaptations of books like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Matilda," such as last year's "Matilda the Musical." But one of the benefits of streaming is that the lines blur between movie and TV sometimes. Before streaming, it might have been hard to find a home for a 40-minute adaptation of a short story made at this level. But on Netflix, we can have a one-off like this from a filmmaker like Anderson. For as much as streaming has messed up the industry, this is one of the benefits.
Meanwhile, Anderson has remained incredibly busy nearly 30 years into his career. Earlier this year, "Asteroid City" garnered favorable reviews from critics (read our review here) and, more importantly, actually managed to get moviegoers out for an original movie in theaters. It's just about to cross $50 million worldwide at the box office, which is a nice landmark for a movie like this in a franchise-dominated landscape. While we don't yet know what Anderson will do next, one imagines it won't take too long for him to line something up.
Anderson wrote the adaptation and also produces alongside Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, with Octavia Peissel, John Peet, and Alice Dawson on board as co-producers.
"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" arrives on Netflix on September 27, 2023.
Netflix