Dev Patel to Star in Roald Dahl Adaptation

Dev Patel has joined a stellar cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Kingsley, for an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

Filmmaker Wes Anderson has been roped in to direct the adaptation which will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

According to reports, production for the upcoming film is expected to start in late January 2022 in London.

First published in 1977, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is a collection of seven short stories written by British author Roald Dahl for older children.

Benedict Cumberbatch will be seen as Henry Sugar, the protagonist of the story, which poses the question:

“If you could see with your eyes closed, would you use your power for good or personal gain?”

The upcoming film marks Wes Anderson’s second Roald Dahl adaptation after the director turned Fantastic Mr Fox into a film in 2009 and co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach.

Whilst Dev’s role is yet to be revealed, the other stories in the collection include one about a boy who can talk to animals, a pickpocket, and a story about a secret treasure buried underground.

The Slumdog Millionaire actor is also set to star in Chippendales alongside Seth Rogan and Elle Fanning.

The story follows Steve Bannerjee, played by Dev Patel, and sees an Indian immigrant’s rise and fall in America as he sets up a strip club.

The club takes a hit when Steve Banerjee’s co-creator Paul Snider kills Steve’s girlfriend Dorothy Stratten, sending the protagonist into a downward spiral of legal battles.

Chippendales is currently in its pre-production stage and filming is expected to commence in 2022.

Dev Patel first appeared on screen in 2007 as Anwar Kharral on the British TV series Skins.

He is also known for his roles in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Slumdog Millionaire in which he shared the screen with Frieda Pinto.

The actor was last seen in A24’s The Green Knight, released in July 2021, and continues to receive praise for his work in the film.

More recently, he signed a deal with the production company ShivHans Pictures.

Speaking about his new venture, Dev said: “We want to tell stories that we’re desperate to see about characters and worlds that we haven’t seen before.

“We’re super excited to collaborate with ShivHans Pictures to make bold and heartfelt content, drawing from our unique cultural experiences to give a voice to the outsiders and underdogs.”