Benedict Cumberbatch Is a Desperate Father in the Trailer for Netflix Thriller ‘Eric’

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a desperate father whose world becomes unraveled in the first trailer for the Netflix thriller, Eric.

Below, Cumberbatch stars as a New York puppeteer and the creator of a popular children’s television show whose 9-year-old son, Edgar, disappears one morning on the way to school.

The project is from creator Abi Morgan (The Hours) and spans six episodes. The series also stars Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler and Clarke Peters.

According to the description, Cumberbatch’s character, Vincent, becomes “increasingly distressed and volatile. Full of self-loathing and guilt around Edgar’s disappearance, he clings to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet, Eric, convinced that if he can get Eric on TV then Edgar will come home. As Vincent’s progressively destructive behavior alienates his family, his work colleagues, and the detectives trying to help him, it’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home.”

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star previously opened up about the series at the Next on Netflix showcase in London in March, noting it is rooted in real-world issues.

“Looking at parenthood, looking at marriage, looking at mental health, looking at the AIDS pandemic, but also the ongoing crises of homophobia, of racism in institutions,” the actor explained. “There’s a lot going on, and yet it does speak to our world. It’s not cramming stuff in that we’re not, sadly, all too familiar with.”

Cumberbatch recently also starred in Wes Anderson’s anthology of shorts for Netflix, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More.

The series is directed by Lucy Forbes and executive produced by Morgan, Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke, Lucy Forbes and Cumberbatch.

Eric premieres on Netflix on May 30.