| Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar | |
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 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by | Wes Anderson |
| Screenplay by | Wes Anderson |
| Based on | "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" byRoald Dahl |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert Yeoman |
| Edited by | |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 39 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, or simplyThe Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, is a 2023 Americanfantasyshort film[2] written, co-produced, and directed byWes Anderson, based on the 1977 short story "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" byRoald Dahl. It is the secondfilm adaptation of a Dahl work directed by Anderson, followingFantastic Mr. Fox (2009).[3] It starsBenedict Cumberbatch as the titular character alongsideRalph Fiennes,Dev Patel,Ben Kingsley, andRichard Ayoade. The story sees a rich man learning about aclairvoyant guru who could see without using his eyes through the power of a particular form ofYoga, then setting out to master the skill in order to cheat atgambling.
The film is the first of a four-part series of shorts adapted from Dahl's short stories, including "The Swan", "The Rat Catcher", and "Poison".[4] Development on the project began in January 2022, with most of the cast signed on.Principal photography took place inLondon that month.The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was originally reported to be a feature film until Anderson clarified in June 2023 that it would be one of a collection of short films.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered at the80th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2023, and received a limited theatrical release on September 20, 2023, followed by being released onNetflix on September 27, 2023.[2] The other three Anderson shorts based on Dahl stories premiered on Netflix on succeeding days:The Swan on September 28,The Rat Catcher on September 29, andPoison on September 30.[5] On March 15, 2024, the film was released in a full length film anthology along with the other three shorts titledThe Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More.
It received positive reviews critics and won theAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the96th Academy Awards.[6]
The story is presented as atelefilm that aired in theUnited Kingdom on the fictitious Channel 7 in 1978.
Henry Sugar is the pseudonym of a bachelor who uses his inherited fortune to fund his gambling habits. One day, he comes across a book of a doctor's report of Imdad Khan, a man who claimed he could see and interact without using his eyes. After watching Imdad perform even greater feats in his own circus act, the doctor interviewed Imdad, and he tells him his life history. As a young runaway in a traveling circus, he sought out a guru known as The Great Yogi, who could meditate while levitating his own body. Reluctantly, the Great Yogi taught Imdad his meditation method, which granted Imdad his abilities, though he died overnight before the doctors could further study him.
By practising Imdad's meditations of staring into a candle flame at eye level while picturing the face of the person he loves most in the world, Henry manages to see through the backs of playing cards to read the face value after three years of practice, something that Imdad had been told that only one in a billion would be able to do in a short amount of time. Henry uses his ability at a casino and makes £30,000 atblackjack. Unsatisfied with his ease in earning money, he throws the money off his balcony into the streets ofLondon. After he nearly causes a riot, a police officer suggests that he find a more effective form of charity. Henry decides to travel worldwide, winning money from casinos with his ability under varying disguises and establishing a network of successful hospitals and orphanages. Two decades later, Henry dies from apulmonary embolism which he knew would cause his death, being able to see the clot through his skin. His accountant commissionsRoald Dahl to write his story under the condition his identity remain confidential.
In September 2021,Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company for $686 million.[7]The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar project was confirmed on January 7, 2022, the day after it was reported thatWes Anderson was set to write and direct the film adaptation, with Netflix distributing.[8] It was announced thatBenedict Cumberbatch would star as Sugar, withRalph Fiennes,Dev Patel andBen Kingsley in supporting roles.[9]Rupert Friend andRichard Ayoade later joined the cast.[10]
Principal photography began atThe Maidstone Studios in Kent, England,[11] in January 2022.[9]
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was originally reported to be a feature film, but Anderson clarified in June 2023 that it would be one of a collection of short films.[12]
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered out-of-competition at the80th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2023.[13] It had a limited theatrical release on September 20, only in New York and California. It was initially set for a streaming release on October 13, 2023,[14] but was released onNetflix on September 27.[2] The short was repackaged asan anthology movie with the three other shorts and released on Netflix on March 15, 2024.[15]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 98 reviews with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "WithThe Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson returns to the world of Roald Dahl—and proves his distinctive style is a comfortable fit for one of the author's sweetest stories."[16] OnMetacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]
InVariety, Peter Debruge called the film "delightfully tight" and added that Dahl's short story "proves a good match for Anderson's intricate approach".[18] Similarly, Leslie Felperin ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a perfectly well-balanced reduction. It’s got most of Anderson's signature flavor notes but in healthy, clarified stock".[19] David Ehrlich ofIndieWire called it "the most visually inventive film that Anderson has made thus far" and added: "Its presentation is something we’ve never really seen before, either from Anderson or anyone else, but itsethos couldn’t be more familiar to anyone who’s followed his work".[20] Glenn Kenny fromRogerEbert.com gave the film a 4 out of 4 stars and wrote that, "It’s disarming and lovely to see a spiritual growth parable rendered in Anderson’s jewel-box style. His delivery here is not willfully eccentric but gorgeously centered. Form underscores content inHenry Sugar in a most delightful way."[21]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
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| Astra Film and Creative Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Short Film | The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar | Nominated | [22] |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Live Action Short Film | Wes Anderson andSteven Rales | Won | [23] |
Films produced byIndian Paintbrush | |
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Steven Rales (founder) | |
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