Wes Andersons’ The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: Release date, plot, and more

Wes Anderson, the visionary director known for his unique yet whimsical storytelling, will be returning with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar at the 80th Venice Film Festival in September 2023. This upcoming production will be a short film with a duration of 37 minutes.

The upcoming short film will be an adaptation of Roald Dahl's story from the 1977 collection known as The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. The official storyline of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar reads,

"Chronicles a variety of stories but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole."

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar will feature Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade.

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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar plot explored

This is the second time Wes Anderson has picked up one of Roald Dahl's books for his films - the first time being Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009. The upcoming short film, which is anticipated to have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival 2023 and then be released internationally on Netflix, recounts the remarkable journey of Henry Sugar.

Even though there is no official announcement from the team regarding the plot or the trailer release, the short story gives us a rough idea of the basis of the movie.

Sugar, played by the 47-year-old Benedict Cumberbatch, is a wealthy man who has a penchant for wagering. He embarks on a transformative path looking for self-discovery.

Henry Sugar stumbles upon a doctor's report on a patient going by the alias 'The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eye.' This man was capable to see through objects despite having his eyes sealed shut by the doctors and he claimed to have learned the techniques from a yogi in India.

While The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eye is eventually found dead, Henry Sugar finds his notebook which had detailed instructions on how to master the ability to look through objects and predict the future.

Henry steals the book and it takes him three years to learn the skill after which he ironically uses it to forecast outcomes at casinos to make money.

Henry Sugar's life takes an unexpected turn as he uncovers hidden talents and a newfound purpose in his life. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar possibly emphasizes the fantastic story of a wealthy gambler who predicted games to win money, change his appearances, and hopped countries only to establish the best orphanages all over the world - Henry Sugar Orphanages.

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The cast of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Netflix is the main distribution company for the film's release as it acquired Roald Dahl Story Company through a $686 million deal in September 2021. The project was confirmed on January 7, 2022, with Wes Anderson being finalized as the writer and director.

Simultaneously the cast was fixed with Cumberbatch in the lead role, with Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter franchise), Dev Patel (Lion), Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Rupert Friend (Homeland series), and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd series) in supporting roles.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is similar to Wes Anderson's previous 13-minute project Hotel Chevalier which was created as a prologue to The Darjeeling Limited.