Wes Anderson had an eventful 2023. In addition to releasing “Asteroid City,” he put out four short films based on the works of Roald Dahl on Netflix, including the now Oscar-winning “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” Despite clocking in at just 39 minutes, it manages to be one of 2023’s best family films. Anderson did manage to share a few thank-yous for his win, publishing an acceptance speech through Netflix’s page on X (formerly known as Twitter).
In his statement, the filmmaker brought attention to many people who made the short film possible, including Steven Rales, a producer for “Henry Sugar,” as well as cast members like Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, and Dev Patel. He also reflected on the collaboration that started him on this journey. “If [I] had not met Owen Wilson in a corridor at the University of Texas between classes when I was 18 years old, I would certainly not be receiving this award tonight,” Anderson said. He then confirmed that he was in Germany working on his next project, lamenting that he was unable to praise his collaborators on camera during the ceremony.
The Oscar win may draw more attention to “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” along with three other short films Anderson made for Netflix: “The Rat Catcher,” “The Swan,” and “Poison.” And with his next film already in active production, Anderson’s obviously not resting on his laurels, so that corduroy diorama will have to wait.
