Benedict Cumberbatch in talks to star in 'Eric' series

WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch of 'Doctor Strange' fame is currently in final talks to star in the Netflix limited series 'Eric'. According to Variety, an American media company, set in 1980's New York, the six-episode series was originally announced in November 2021.

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, reported Variety.

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.'

As per Variety, 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.

On the film front, he has been nominated for two Academy Awards -- one for 'The Imitation Game' and another for 'The Power of the Dog'.