Eric: Release date, cast and everything you need to know about Benedict Cumberbatch’s Netflix thriller

Benedict Cumberbatch is coming to Netflix in 2024 with six-part emotional thriller Eric.

Gaby Hoffman and McKinley Belcher III star alongside Cumberbatch in the drama about a puppeteer and TV star whose son goes missing one morning on the way to school.

The series is set in 1980s New York.

Here is everything we know so far about the highly anticipated Eric…

Eric release date

Eric is coming in 2024 to Netflix.

The series will have six episodes.

We’ll keep you posted when a release date is confirmed.

Eric cast

• Vincent Anderson – Played by Benedict Cumberbatch
• Cassie Anderson - Played by Gaby Hoffmann, above
• Detective Michael Ledroit - Played by McKinley Belcher III
• Lennie Wilson - Played by Dan Fogler
• George Lovett - Played by Clarke Peters
• Edgar Anderson - Played by Ivan Morris Howe
• Anne Anderson - Played by Phoebe Nicholls
• Matteo Cripp - Played by David Denman
• Yuusuf Egbe - Played by Bamar Kane
• Cecile Rochelle - Played by Adepero Odyue
• Raya - Played by Alexis Molnar
• Ronnie - Played by Roberta Colindrez

Netflix has released the following character descriptions for the series:

Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch)

One of New York’s leading puppet makers and puppeteers, Vincent is the creator of wildly popular children’s television show, Good Day Sunshine. Highly intelligent, charismatic yet narcissistic, Vincent is professionally volatile and privately neglectful of his wife Cassie and young son, Edgar.

Cassie Anderson (Gaby Hoffmann)

Born and raised in privilege on a farm in upstate New York, Cassie fell in love with Vincent at art college before the reality of life kicked in. A warm and loving mother to Edgar, Cassie struggles with Vincent and is tired of his womanising and volatile behaviour.

Detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III)

Twenty years in the police service, primarily spent in vice, Ledroit is a leading detective in missing person ever since he felt compelled to help the swamped division in finding missing people. Ledroit works daily to hide his sexuality and life with long-term lover William but when his secret becomes an obstacle at work, Ledroit must choose between protecting his identity and solving a case.

Lennie Wilson (Dan Fogler)

Lennie Wilson, Vincent’s best friend and colleague and a brilliant puppeteer and maker in his own right. A committed bachelor, Lennie shares a strong bond with Edgar, who often comes to the workshop of Good Day Sunshine. 

George Lovett (Clarke Peters)

George Lovett, the superintendent of the apartment building where Edgar lives, is a friendly neighbour with minimal belongings. Those he has, he treasures. With his children no longer speaking to him, George befriended Edgar, letting him play in his apartment whenever his parents argued.

Edgar Anderson (Ivan Morris Howe)

Artistic yet deeply withdrawn from the world, nine-year-old Edgar is inspired by the puppets on his father’s puppet show Good Day Sunshine and wants to make a puppet of his own. 

Anne Anderson (Phoebe Nicholls)

Anne is an elegant yet brittle housewife to real estate mogul Robert Anderson and mother to Vincent, who struggles to connect to her and has carved out a life in direct opposition to everything Anne and Robert aspire to be. 

Matteo Cripp (David Denman) 

Captain Cripp, Ledroit’s eagle-eyed boss and captain of the station, has a good relationship with Ledroit and cares for him like a mentor. Edgar’s case brings media attention and pressure from above and when Ledroit believes it might be connected to the disappearance of 14-year-old Marlon Rochelle almost nearly a year earlier, Cripp, keen for Ledroit to close the case quickly, is quick to discourage this line of enquiry.

Yuusuf Egbe (Bamar Kane)

Yuusuf Egbe lives amongst the 'mole people' in disused subways underneath New York City. A graffiti artist, Yuusuf leaves his tag all over New York but never expected his art to be noticed – especially not by a nine-year-old boy. 

Raya (Alexis Molnar)

Raya is a friend of Yuusuf's who also lives underneath New York City. Streetwise but addicted to crack cocaine, Raya knows how to use her smarts to get her next fix, but sometimes does so at great risk to herself and those around her.

Cecile Rochelle (Adepero Odyue)

Cecilie is an African American mother whose son Marlon disappeared 11 months ago. Marlon was older than Edgar and even though the police have done very little to help find Marlon, Cecile never lets up. She has resigned herself to the idea that he is dead but still wants him found. 

Ronnie (Roberta Colindrez)

Ronnie is a legendary puppeteer who works on Good Day Sunshine with Vincent and Lennie. Ronnie is immune to Vincent's charms which gives her a unique position to call him out with her quick, sarcastic wit. 

Eric plot – What is the TV series about?

Eric is described as a “emotional thriller” as it follows a father's desperate search for his nine-year-old son.

Cumberbatch plays Vincent, one of New York’s leading puppeteers and creator of the hugely popular children’s television show, Good Day Sunshine. When his son Edgar goes missing one morning on the way to school, Vincent is totally unable to cope.

While trying to deal with his guilt and self-loathing, Vincent clings to his son’s favourite drawings of blue monster puppet Eric.

As Vincent becomes more destructive and volatile, he starts to believe that the only way to get his son home is to get Eric shown on TV. His delusion drives away his family, colleagues and detectives trying to help him as Eric becomes his only ally in his pursuit of bringing his son home.

“When Abi [Morgan] first pitched Eric to us it gave us goosebumps,” said executive producers Jane Featherstone and Lucy Dyke.

“It is an extraordinary piece of writing, inspired by Abi’s experience of New York in the mid-1980s as a city rotten to its core but on the cusp of change.

“She writes both a tense thriller and an intimate portrait of a delusional father searching for his child, shadowed by a monster named Eric.

“We are thrilled that Eric will be led by the multi-award-winning Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by the brilliant Lucy Forbes.”

Who is the creator of Eric?

Eric is written by Welsh playwright Abi Morgan. The TV and movie writer is best known for Channel 4 TV series Sex Traffic (2004), The Hour (2011), River (2015) and films The Iron Lady, Suffragette and Shame.

Morgan also wrote BBC legal drama The Split, and adapted Monica Ali’s Brick Lane for TV and Claire Tomalin’s The Invisible Woman for the cinema.

In 2022, the writer released a memoir This Is Not a Pity Memoir.

“Eric is a dark and crazy journey into the heart of 1980s New York, and the good, bad and ugly world of Vincent, a genius puppeteer on one of America’s leading kids' TV shows,” said Morgan.

“The chance to work with Benedict and the creative team at Sister and Netflix is irresistible. With Lucy Forbes at the directorial helm, I feel fortunate to be working at a time of such great creativity in our industry. Fingers crossed Eric will be a welcome addition.”

Lucy Forbes (Charlie Booker’s Weekly Wipe, The End of the F***ing World, This Is Going To Hurt) is directing Eric.

Where is Eric filmed?

The series has begun filming in Hungary and New York.

Sister (Chernobyl, This Is Going To Hurt) and Little Chick (The Split) are producing the series.

Watch Eric in 2024 on Netflix