It might seem like Millie Bobby Brown exclusively stars in franchise properties, but that’s only because it’s true. Hot off the success of Netflix’s Stranger Things and Enola Holmes, the young star is now looking to set up another couple of long-term projects at the streamer. First out of the gate will be the action-fantasy film Damsel, which got a first-look image on Wednesday.
The image shows Brown with a fierce look on her face and a sword in her hands. She appears to be in the middle of an action scene in a somewhat fiery setting, going by the surrounding sparks. It’s a dynamic image, made even more interesting when you consider that her adversary in the movie is said to be a dragon.
Collider reported in 2020 that the plot follows Brown’s character, a young princess named Elodie, who agrees to marry a rival prince. She soon discovers that her marriage was a part of an ancient agreement, and that her new family has a dark secret: every harvest season, they sacrifice young women to a fire-breathing dragon. And it’s her turn now. Left for dead, Princess Elodie discovers the warrior within her, as she fights to stay alive. The title Damsel itself teases that the movie will upend fairytale tropes.
Damsel follows a slew of recent feminist movies set in the medieval times and featuring plucky young heroines. Last year, Joey King starred in The Princess, which was essentially a medieval Die Hard with a teenage heroine. Directed by Le-Van Kiet, the movie debuted on Hulu. The streamer also got Rosaline, which put a Gen Z spin on Romeo and Juliet. Prime Video, on the other hand, released director Lena Dunham’s Catherine Called Birdy, starring The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey. While the latter two movies don’t feature any action to speak of, they’re a part of a welcome trend in mainstream Hollywood, where young women are cast as leads in genres that are normally considered male-friendly.
And if there’s one actor who has proven how popular big-budget entertainment featuring teenage girls can be, it’s Brown. After becoming a household name with Stranger Things, she successfully launched a franchise for herself with the Sherlock Holmes spinoff Enola Holmes and its sequel, Enola Holmes 2. She also appeared in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and its sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong. Up next, she’ll star in directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s second Netflix movie, The Electric State, and will reprise her role as Eleven in the final season of Stranger Things.
Damsel will also star Robin Wright, Angela Bassett, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ray Winstone and Nick Robinson. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) and written by Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans and Fast X), the film will land on Netflix on October 13, 2023. You can check out the image here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
You can also get a look at the film in action in Netflix's year in preview trailer: