Benedict Cumberbatch On Grief And Fatherhood In The Thing With Feathers

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In “The Thing with Feathers,” Benedict Cumberbatch plays a father struggling with the loss of his wife. The film, based on Max Porter’s 2015 novella, follows Dad, a cartoonist whose life is shattered by his wife’s unexpected death. Unable to cope with his grief, Dad and his two sons are visited by a large, human-like Crow, leading to a series of strange and emotional experiences.

Dylan Southern’s first feature film as director, The Thing with Feathers, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, receiving very mixed reactions from critics. Since then, after screenings at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and its release in the UK and Ireland on November 21st, the film continues to be divisive. Currently, it has a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most reviewers praising Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance.

To celebrate the new film, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with Benedict Cumberbatch about The Thing with Feathers. Cumberbatch shared that it took over ten years – from first reading the original story by Porter, to seeing a stage play starring Cillian Murphy and written by Edna Walsh – before he finally revisited the material.

Cumberbatch remembers receiving a unique script from Southern, an adaptation of The Thing with Feathers. He was impressed by Southern’s clever approach to the story, calling it almost impossible to film, yet Southern had managed to pull it off. Cumberbatch became fascinated with Southern’s expanded take on the original novella and was eager to meet him. This led to a friendship and a strong, collaborative working relationship.

When discussing how the film The Thing with Feathers handled certain scenes differently from the original novel, Cumberbatch explained that he didn’t believe the film necessarily improved upon the book. However, he noted that some aspects were portrayed more directly in the film, especially the characters of Eric Lampaert and David Thewlis’ Crow.

This character is essentially the embodiment of sorrow, taking the form of a creature resembling a crow. Both in the original book and our adaptation, he’s deeply connected to the poems of Ted Hughes, specifically ‘Crow.’ These poems are raw, intense, and beautifully honest, born from a place of deep trauma. He attempts to lose himself in his work, but ultimately, that work confronts him with the very pain he’s trying to escape – it becomes his grief made manifest.

Benedict Cumberbatch explains that while the character of Crow might feel genuinely real to both his character and the children in the story, the novella and film still allow viewers to connect with their own personal experiences. He emphasizes that the story particularly resonates with universal feelings about grief. Cumberbatch recalls having incredibly moving conversations with audience members, especially those who have experienced loss – whether it’s the loss of a spouse, parent, sibling, or another loved one.

What really struck me, and a lot of other viewers, is how incredibly relatable the central metaphor is. It beautifully captures how grief can be all these conflicting things – violent, unwanted, but also strangely comforting and familiar. Cumberbatch himself described playing the role as being like portraying both Mary Poppins and Tyler Durden in the same film! He genuinely believes the movie does justice to the original novella.

Cumberbatch says the biggest challenge in bringing The Thing with Feathers to the screen was its non-linear storytelling. He remembers being surprised by the stage version, where characters would unexpectedly discuss their experiences as children, shifting back in time without warning.

I keep wondering if the whole story is really how those two brothers remember their dad and that crazy year. It’s such beautifully written material, but it’s sparked so many different interpretations and creative projects. There’s another play being developed, and I even heard about a mime performance within a puppet show – it just keeps branching out in amazing ways!

Cumberbatch explained that truly impactful art can successfully translate into a different format than its original inspiration, while still keeping the core ideas intact. He also praised Porter as a remarkably kind and collaborative partner, remembering being initially intimidated when Porter joined the project. Porter had been careful to ensure Cumberbatch felt comfortable, knowing the story was heavily based on the author’s personal experiences.

This story comes from his experience of losing his father at a young age, alongside his brother. It’s a privilege to help bring his beautiful book to life, especially with him involved. He’s incredibly generous to share such a personal story, and I quickly became very close to him – he’s become a wonderful friend and a truly remarkable person.

The Crow Sometimes Required Cumberbatch To Put On A Mime Show In The Thing With Feathers

You’ve portrayed a father in two movies this year: Theo in The Roses and Dad in The Thing with Feathers. While both characters are fathers, they approach parenting in very different ways. Could you talk about how their styles differ?

Benedict Cumberbatch points out that while both of his recent characters became single parents, their circumstances are quite different. In one film, his character becomes a stay-at-home dad as his wife’s career flourishes. In the other, he’s a father grieving a sudden loss, raising two young sons without their mother. He acknowledges that at this point in his career, he’s often offered roles as fathers or professionals, leading to some repetition. However, he emphasizes that the emotional worlds and settings of the two films, ‘Roses’ and ‘Feathers,’ are vastly different from each other.

ScreenRant asked about how the director worked with David Thewlis, who provided the voice of the character Crow. They were curious if Thewlis was physically present on set during filming, or if his voice was simply played through a speaker, and wanted to know how the director built the interaction between the characters when only a voice was available.

It’s funny how things work in filmmaking. Benedict Cumberbatch wasn’t actually in the Crow costume. The idea was always him, but Eric Lampaert was the one physically performing the role on stilts, doing a fantastic impression of David Thewlis! It was a really strange process because there was no direct interaction. I often had to act out scenes silently, leaving space for David to come in and fill it with his performance later. We’d record the dialogue first, then choreograph the movements and reactions based on my vocal performance. Eric would then deliver his lines quietly and with a flat tone, but he’d really animate the character physically, bringing the costume to life. We wanted it to feel really close and claustrophobic on screen. Honestly, even if it looks a little rough around the edges at times, that felt right – like the worn-out toy of a family with kids, something created with simple, beautiful artistry like Lucy Sullivan’s illustrations. It was a huge leap of faith, knowing how David would interpret the role, especially because I’m such a big fan of his work. We’d worked together before on The Fifth Estate, and it’s a lovely memory. We were just hoping he’d connect with the character enough to bring his incredible talent to it. Ultimately, Crow’s presence was shaped in post-production – deciding how much of him to show, what to keep hidden, and how to use his voice. David’s voice is just so powerful and distinctive, it really elevates everything.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Thing with Feathers-related coverage with:

  • Cumberbatch on how his Thing with Feathers journey differed from Netflix’s Eric
  • Our interview with Cumberbatch and Southern at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
  • Our interview with Southern for Thing with Feathers‘ Berlin International Film Festival 2025 premiere
  • Cumberbatch teasing his creative involvement on Doctor Strange 3

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2025-12-01 22:00