Benedict Cumberbatch to star in new Netflix drama series

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to executive produce and star in Eric, a new Netflix drama from the producers of HBO's Chernobyl.

Eric follows Vincent Anderson (Cumberbatch), a grief-stricken puppeteer on a leading TV show whose young boy goes missing and who finds solace through his friendship with Eric, the monster that lives under his son’s bed (H/T Deadline). 

The cast includes Gaby Hoffman, McKinley Belcher II, Dan Fogler, Phoebe Nicholls, Clarke Peters, Ivan Morris Howe, David Denman, Bamar Kane, Adepero Odyue, Alexis Molnar, and Roberta Colindrez.

"Eric is a dark and crazy journey into the heart of 1980’s New York, and the good bad and ugly world of Vincent," said headwriter Abi Morgan (Shame, Suffragette). "The chance to work with Benedict and the creative team at Sister and Netflix, is irresistible."

Morgan will produce under her Little Chick banner alongside Sister, the production company behind Chernobyl.

Cumberbatch recently wrapped filming on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, directed by Wes Anderson exclusively for Netflix. The film is based on the Roald Dahl short story collection of the same name, which features Henry Sugar as a wealthy mn who loves to gamble and embarks on a strange adventure. Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade also star. The movie is set to premiere in the Fall of 2023.

Eric does not yet have a release date.

For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows in 2023 and beyond, or, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.