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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (film)

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Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Promotional release poster
Directed byWes Anderson
Screenplay byWes Anderson
Based on"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"
by Roald Dahl
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Yeoman
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • September 1, 2023 (2023-09-01) (Venice)
  • September 20, 2023 (2023-09-20) (United States)
  • September 27, 2023 (2023-09-27) (Netflix)
Running time
39 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, or simply The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, is a 2023 American fantasy short film[2] written, co-produced, and directed by Wes Anderson, based on the 1977 short story "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" by Roald Dahl. It is the second film adaptation of a Dahl work directed by Anderson, following Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).[3] It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character alongside Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade. The story sees a rich man learning about a clairvoyant guru who could see without using his eyes through the power of a particular form of Yoga, then setting out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.

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 in London 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 the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2023, and received a limited theatrical release on September 20, 2023, followed by being released on Netflix on September 27, 2023.[5] 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, and Poison on September 30.[6]

The film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[7]

On March 15, 2024, the film was released in a full length film anthology along with the other three shorts titled The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More.

Plot

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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 at blackjack. Unsatisfied with his ease in earning money, he throws the money off his balcony into the streets of London. 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 a pulmonary embolism which he knew would cause his death, being able to see the clot through his skin. His accountant commissions Roald Dahl to write his story under the condition his identity remains confidential.

Cast

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Production

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In September 2021, Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company for $686 million.[8] The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar project was confirmed on January 7, 2022, the day after it was reported that Wes Anderson was set to write and direct the film adaptation, with Netflix distributing.[9] It was announced that Benedict Cumberbatch would star as Sugar, with Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley in supporting roles.[10] Rupert Friend and Richard Ayoade later joined the cast.[11]

Principal photography began at The Maidstone Studios in Kent, England,[12] in January 2022.[10]

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.[13]

Release

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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered out-of-competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2023.[14] 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,[15] but was released on Netflix on September 27.[16] The short was repackaged as an anthology movie with the three other shorts and released on Netflix on March 15, 2024.[17]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 87 reviews with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "With The 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."[18] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[19]

In Variety, Peter Debruge called the film "delightfully tight" and added that Dahl's short story "proves a good match for Anderson's intricate approach".[20] Similarly, Leslie Felperin of The 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".[21] David Ehrlich of IndieWire 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 its ethos couldn’t be more familiar to anyone who’s followed his work".[22]

Glenn Kenny from RogerEbert.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 in Henry Sugar in a most delightful way."[23]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Astra Film and Creative Awards January 6, 2024 Best Short Film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Nominated [24]
Academy Awards March 10, 2024 Best Live Action Short Film Wes Anderson and Steven Rales Won [25]

References

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  1. ^ "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar". Netflix. September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (August 24, 2023). "Wes Anderson's 'Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Sets Netflix Release Date and Shares New Art". IndieWire. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  3. ^ Shafer, Ellise (September 1, 2023). "Wes Anderson Confirms 'Henry Sugar' Short Film Collection Will Include 'The Swan,' 'Poison' and 'The Rat Catcher'". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Wes Anderson Revisits Roald Dahl in 'Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  5. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (August 24, 2023). "Wes Anderson's 'Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Sets Netflix Release Date and Shares New Art". IndieWire. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "You're Invited to a Week of New Wes Anderson Shorts This September". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Sundby, Alex (January 29, 2024). "See the full list of Oscar nominations for 2024 Academy Awards - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Gray, Alistair (September 22, 2021). "Netflix snaps up entire works of Roald Dahl for over £500m". Financial Times. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  9. ^ Leishman, Rachel (January 6, 2022). "Wes Anderson to Direct Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Starring Benedict Cumberbatch". Collider. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (January 7, 2022). "Wes Anderson To Direct Adaptation Of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel And Ben Kingsley". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  11. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 12, 2022). "Rupert Friend And Richard Ayoade Join Wes Anderson's Adaptation Of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Maidstone Studios enters The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - TVBEurope
  13. ^ "'The Wonderful Life Of Henry Sugar': Wes Anderson Says His Upcoming Netflix Project Is Only 37 Minutes Long". theplaylist.net. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2023 | The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar". La Biennale di Venezia. July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Russell, Calum (August 1, 2023). "Wes Anderson's new Roald Dahl movie gets release date". Far Out. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (August 24, 2023). "Wes Anderson's 'Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Sets Netflix Release Date and Shares New Art". IndieWire. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  17. ^ Moore, Kasey (March 11, 2024). "'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More' Sets Re-Release on Netflix". What's on Netflix. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  18. ^ "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  20. ^ Debruge, Peter (September 1, 2023). "'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Review: Wes Anderson Squeezes Roald Dahl Into a Delightfully Tight Short". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  21. ^ Felperin, Leslie (September 1, 2023). "'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Review: Benedict Cumberbatch in Wes Anderson's Mini-Marvel of a Roald Dahl Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  22. ^ Ehrlich, David (September 1, 2023). "'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' Review: Wes Anderson's Hyper-Faithful Roald Dahl Adaptation Is 37 Minutes of Absolute Bliss". IndieWire. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar movie review (2023)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  24. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 7, 2023). "'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' Lead Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Astra Awards Nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  25. ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (January 23, 2024). "Oscar Nominations 2024: 'Oppenheimer' Dominates With 13 Nods, 'Poor Things' Follows With 11". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
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