We get it, Benedict; the boundaries of your acting range are non-existent; who else could dabble in the realms of Marvel and Sherlock to universal acclaim whilst bringing just as much dramatic gravitas to films such as 12 Years A Slave and The Power of the Dog? Indeed, for all the overdone jokes about his name, Benedict Cumberbatch is one of Hollywood’s most prominent chameleons.
And soon, per Variety, Cumberbatch will be able to add yet another color to his impressive palette in the form of Vincent, a homeless puppeteer recovering from substance abuse and one of the leads in Netflix’s upcoming thriller limited series Eric.
Set in a 1980s New York freshly ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, Eric follows the plight of Vincent, a puppeteer on one of America’s favorite children’s programs and the father of a young boy named Edgar, who mysteriously vanishes one day. As his grief overtakes him, manifesting in forms ranging from drug addiction to the loss of his home, Vincent’s only lifeline is his friendship with Eric, a seven-foot-tall blue puppet who lives under Edgar’s bed, and who quickly becomes a steadfast ally in Vincent’s quest to find his missing son.
All the while, Detective Ledroit, an NYPD officer who boasts the unenviable task of uncovering the department’s internal corruption, also finds himself drawn into Edgar’s case as he’s forced to confront his own tumultuous secrets.
The series was created by Abi Morgan, whose writing credits include the Emmy-winning The Hour, and Sex Traffick, which has won a total of eight BAFTA awards.
There’s currently no timeline for Eric‘s production during the time of writing, but with Cumberbatch effectively locked in, we imagine news surrounding additional cast members will come to light sooner rather than later.