The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar was a short story written by the late British author Roald Dahl and published back in 1977 as the anthology book The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (opens in new tab). Now, one of a host of new dramas being produced by Netflix that are based on Roald Dahl books and stories, this story is being brought to life, with Sherlock and The Power Of The Dog star Benedict Cumberbatch playing the lead character Henry Sugar.
Famous horror movie director Wes Craven is on board too to direct. It isn’t the first time The French Dispatch director has adapted a Roald Dahl story, either. In 2009 he turned Fantastic Mr Fox into an Oscar-nominated feature film with George Clooney and Meryl Streep among the voice cast.
And for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Wes Anderson is gathering together another top-notch cast with Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley and Dev Patel also set to star. So here’s what we know about the upcoming Netflix film The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar so far…
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar release date
As The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar went into production in 2022, so a release date hasn't yet been given by Netflix although we expect it to arrive in 2023. We'll update as soon as we find out the worldwide air date.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar plot
First published in 1977 as a short story, The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar tells the tale of a wealthy gambler who attempts to master the art of meditation to acquire the ability to see through cards. But after making a pile of cash on the blackjack tables, he decides to put it to good use and opens up a string of orphanages with his winnings.
It's rumored, however, that the Netflix film may take the form of an anthology, incorporating other tales from the same short story collection, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar And Six More, which include The Boy Who Talked with Animals and The Hitch-Hiker.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar cast — Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch plays gambler Henry in The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar. He'll reportedly crop up in multiple roles in other stories throughout the film, too.
The 45-year-old English actor has previously played Sherlock in the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective and also starred in The Imitation Game, 12 Years A Slave and the Avengers franchise, and has most recently been seen in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog in December 2021.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar cast — who else is starring
Slumdog Millionaire lead Dev Patel has also been signed up for the adaptation, alongside 78-year-old Gandhi actor Sir Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, aka of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise. Rupert Friend (Homeland, Anatomy Of A Scandal) and Richard Ayoade have also been signed up to star. However, there’s no information yet about the roles they’ll play.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar author Roald Dahl?
Born in 1916 in Llandaff, Wales, in 1916 Roald Dahl is a famous children's author (opens in new tab) who wrote more than 20 popular children’s books, including James And The Giant Peach, The Twits, Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Before he became a writer, Roald Dahl was also a pilot for the Royal Air Force and flew a Hawker Hurricane during World War II, later becoming a spy for MI6. He had five children with the American actress Patricia Neal and died in 1990, aged 74.
