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Here is a statement from Mr. Anderson about partnering with Netflix on this project:
“In my case it’s a little bit of a weird thing. I knew Roald Dahl since before we made ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ I met Lindsay Dahl, his widow, when we were shooting ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ like 20 years ago. For years I wanted to do ‘Henry Sugar.’ They set this story aside for me because I was friends with them. Lindsay kind of handed the torch to Luke, Dahl’s grandson. So I had this waiting for me. But I really couldn’t figure out the approach. I knew what I liked in the story was the writing of it, Dahl’s words. I couldn’t find the answer, and then suddenly I did. It’s not a feature film. It’s like 37 minutes or something. But by the time I was ready to do it, the Dahl family no longer had the rights at all. They had sold the whole deal to Netflix.”
Here is goodreads synopsis of the Short Story collection of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and six more:
Seven stories of fantasy and fun by the fantastic Roald Dahl.
Henry Sugar is a man with an amazing talent: he can see with his eyes closed. But will he use his power for good or personal gain? Find out in "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," one of seven short stories in this extraordinary collection.
A clever mix of fact and fiction, this volume also includes the tale of a boy who can understand animals, the magical true story of Mildenhall treasure, and Roald Dahl's own account of how he became a writer (with a wealth of tips for aspiring authors).
Included in this volume:
- The Boy Who Talked With Animals - in which a stranded sea turtle and a small boy have more in common than meets the eye.
- The Hitchhiker - proves that in a pinch a professional pickpocket can be the perfect pal.
- The Mildenhall Treasure - a true tale of fortune found and an opportunity lost.
- The Swan - a fantastic story about youthful misdeeds.
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - in which a modern-day Robin Hood brings joy to the hearts of orphans - and fear to the souls of casino owners around the world.
- Lucky Break: How I Became a Writer - an account in Dahl's own words on how he came to be.
- A Piece of Cake: First Story - 1942 - Dahl's first story, which tells of how he was shot down over the Libyan Desert.
Source: Variety