Wes Anderson has brought The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a short story by Roald Dahl, to life in a 37-minute adaptation. In an interview with IndieWire, the renowned filmmaker discussed why it took him so long to tackle this project and how the film format aligns perfectly with its Netflix release.
Dahl originally published “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” in a collection in 1977. Anderson, a long-time fan of Dahl’s work and a friend of the late author’s family, had always planned to adapt the short story. The opportunity arose after Netflix acquired the rights to the entire Dahl catalog, a deal that resulted in last year’s musical adaptation of Matilda. Anderson elaborated on the whole situation:
“I’ve known Roald Dahl since before we made ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ I met Lindsay Dahl, his widow, while shooting ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ about 20 years ago. I’ve wanted to adapt ‘Henry Sugar’ for years, and they saved this story for me because of our friendship. Lindsay passed the torch to Luke, Dahl’s grandson. So I had this project waiting for me, but I couldn’t find the right approach. What I loved about the story was Dahl’s writing and words. I struggled to find the answer, but then it suddenly clicked. It wouldn’t be a feature film; it would be around 37 minutes. However, when I was ready, the Dahl family no longer held the rights. They had sold the whole deal to Netflix. Essentially, there was no other place to do it since they owned it.”
As one of the most iconic filmmakers in Hollywood’s history, Anderson is accustomed to his movies being shown on the big screen. However, this won’t be the case for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which will be released exclusively on Netflix. While some may question the absence of a theatrical release, Anderson emphasizes how the streaming platform is the perfect venue to showcase his short film. In Anderson’s own words:
“Given that it’s a 37-minute movie, it was the ideal choice because it’s not really a traditional movie. It reminded me of the BBC series ‘Play for Today’ directed by renowned filmmakers like Steven Frears, John Schlesinger, and Alan Clarke. Those were one-hour programs or even shorter. I envisioned something similar for this project.”
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
