“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” Trailer Reveals Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl Adaptation

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the auteur’s adaptation of a Roald Dahl short story that recently had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and is premiering on the streamer at the end of the month. As usual in any of his films, Anderson’s short film has a sensational cast, including his longtime collaborator Ralph Fiennes, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, and Richard Ayoade.

This is Anderson’s second adaptation of a Dahl story; his first was his rapturously received 2009 stop-motion film Fantastic Mr. Fox. And for Anderson fans, who are legion, the news gets better—not only will Netflix be releasing The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar in late September, but it’ll mark the beginning of a series, with one new short film premiering every day for four days. The Swan, The Ratcatcher, and Poison will follow, all based on Dahl’s short stories.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is concerned with the story of Henry (Cumberbatch), a compulsive gambler who learns about a guru in India who can see without using his eyes. Henry believes if he can learn this skill, he’ll be able to cheat at gambling and never lose a hand for the rest of his life. Needless to say, things don’t get exactly according to Henry’s initial plan.

The trailer is a bounty of Andersonian detail, every frame exquisitely calibrated, every shot a work of art. There is probably nobody more aesthetically suited to adapting the work of the legendary Dahl, and it’s extra sweet that The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is only the first in a series.

Check out the trailer below. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premieres on Netflix on September 27.

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Featured image: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. (L to R) Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar, Sir Ben Kingsley as Croupier and Wes Anderson (Director) in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Cr. Roger Do Minh/Netflix ©2023