Why will Wes Anderson’s new short for Netflix surprise us?

Cinema 01 September 2023

Filmmaker Wes Anderson tackles the universe of writer Roald Dahl for the second time in his career with a film adaptation of the short story The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, available on Netflix on September 27th. Once again, the director gets off the beaten tracks with an unusual length for his new film.

by Violaine Schütz .

L'affiche de La Merveilleuse Histoire de Henry Sugar(2023) © Netflix.

After the release of Asteroid City last June, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, fans of Wes Anderson’s universe will soon enjoy another strange yet poetic adventure coming straight out of the director’s mind. Indeed, the American director shot The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a film adaptation based on a short story from the book The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (1977) by Roald Dahl. The future guest of honor of the Lumière Festival in Lyon this October tackles for the second time the work of the writer Roald Dahl, after directing Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: Wes Anderson’s new surprising short film on Netflix

Following a premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1st, the short film will then hit the streaming platform on September 27th. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is set to be one of Wes Anderson’s most surprising projects. Shot in 16mm, the 39-minute film is based on a particularly zany short story. It tells the surreal story of a rich, idle man who loves to gamble. Thanks to a guru, the protagonist discovers how to see with his eyes closed and then tries to win the jackpot roaming from one casino to the next. As always in Wes Anderson’s movies, the cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch (posing in red pyjamas on the short film’s poster), Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Friend, Dev Patel, and Ben Kingsley.

Dev Patel, Sir Ben Kingsley et Richard Ayoade dans La Merveilleuse Histoire de Henry Sugar de Wes Anderson, adapté de Roald Dahl © Netflix.

An adaptation based on a Roald Dahl short story starring Benedict Cumberbatch

This upcoming project confirms the renewed interest in the work of the British writer Roald Dahl. After the Netflix musical adaptation of the book Matilda, the wacky hero of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka, will soon get his own feature, starring the bankable actor Timothée Chalamet as the main character once played by Johnny Depp. Simply entitled Wonka, the film will come out on December 13^rd, 2023 – right in time for a delightful, freaky Christmas!

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) by Wes Anderson, available on Netflix on September 27th.

La bande-annonce de La Merveilleuse Histoire de Henry Sugar (2023) de Wes Anderson.