After Salman Rushdie and British PM Rishi Sunak, noted filmmaker Wes Anderson has said that the books of Roald Dahl should not be bowdlerised. He was at the Venice Film Festival to present his latest film adaptation of a book by the British author - “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar".
The publisher of Dahl’s works caused a stir earlier this year when it was announced that the new editions of his books had gone through some alterations. In included removing or changing references to gender, race and physical appearance. This was done to avoid causing offence. However, after an outcry which also dragged in the British Prime Minister, publisher Puffin said it would put out the books again later this year uncensored. Anderson said all original art should be left unmolested. “I’m probably the worst person to ask about this because, you know, if you ask me, should Renoir be allowed to touch up one of his pictures and modify it? I would say, no," he told reporters at the Venice Film Festival. Certainly no one who’s not an author should be modifying somebody’s book. He’s dead," said Anderson, whose film Henry Sugar is an adaptation of Dahl’s work. This is the second time Anderson has brought Dahl’s work to the screen, following his hugely successful 2009 stop-motion animated movie Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Henry Sugar is not a full-length film, but a 40-minute feature, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley, with Ralph Fiennes playing the part of the author. Anderson also said that he had completed several other short versions of Dahl’s stories, including Poison, The Ratcatcher and The Swan, which stars British actor Rupert Friend.
“They’re all strange, but I don’t really have any other ones in mind," said Anderson, adding: “I have some things brewing, but that might be it on Dahl at the moment."
