Benedict Cumberbatch in Talks to Star in Netflix Limited Series ‘Eric’ From Abi Morgan, Sister (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson
·2 min read
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Benedict Cumberbatch is in final talks to star in the Netflix limited series “Eric,” Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

The six-episode series was originally announced in November 2021. Set in 1980’s New York, the show would see Cumberbatch star as Vincent Sullivan, the lead puppet maker and puppeteer of America’s most popular children’s show, whose life begins to unravel when his young son, Edgar, disappears. Now homeless and dealing with substance addiction, Vincent finds his only companion is Eric, a seven-foot tall blue puppet, who leads him on a journey to find his son and to find a way home.

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Netflix declined to comment.

The series hails from writer and executive producer Abi Morgan, whose past onscreen writing credits include shows like “Sex Traffick” and the Emmy-winning series “The Hour,” as well as films like “The Iron Lady,” “The Invisible Woman,” and “Suffragette.” Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke, and Carolyn Strauss of Sister will also executive produce, with Lucy Forbes (“The End of the F***ing World,” “This Is Going to Hurt”) directing. Morgan executive produces via Little Chick.

This would be the latest limited series lead role of Cumberbatch’s career. He was previously nominated for an Emmy Award for playing the title role in Showtime’s “Patrick Melrose,” based on the semi-autobiographical novels of Edward St Aubyn. Variety exclusively reported in November 2021 that Cumberbatch is attached to star in the HBO limited series “Londongrad,” based on the true story of poisoned KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Cumberbatch is also known on the small screen for starring in the hit series “Sherlock,” in which he played legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. In film, he has been nominated for two Academy Awards — one for “The Imitation Game” and another for “The Power of the Dog.” He is also known for playing Dr. Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as for films like “Atonement,” “1917,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and two of “The Hobbit” films.

He is repped by UTA in the U.S., Conway Van Gelder Grant in the U.K., Sloane Offer, Narrative, and KMPR.

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