When it came to finding the lead for Damsel, Netflix’s new dark fantasy/action dragon-sacrifice flick, director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) had a clear vision.
“To me, Millie [Bobby Brown] was the only possible option for this movie,” he tells Polygon.
The Stranger Things and Enola Holmes star leads the cast as Elodie, a young lady who dutifully steps up to marry the prince of a fantasy kingdom, as the dowry will save her family’s struggling land. But while she’s optimistic about this match, it turns out the marriage is a sham, an excuse to feed her to a vengeful dragon, like generations of young women before her. After her new husband dumps her into the dragon’s cavernous lair, Elodie fights her way to freedom.
It takes on a metatextual tone, mirroring Brown’s own career arc, as she comes of age and takes on more challenging and demanding roles. With Damsel, she also serves as an executive producer, which further emphasizes how her goals are expanding.
“Millie is in some kind of step in her life — she’s kind of embracing this new time in her life,” Fresnadillo explained to Polygon. “In some ways, we took advantage of what is happening with her [career]. Also, in a very generous way, she put that heart in the movie. That was a perfect fit. That was a perfect match that we could see in this movie, she is also giving to the character — that kind of personal experience she’s been having in these years, in the many movies she did.”
Photo: John Wilson/Netflix
Fresnadillo says Brown’s dedication to the nittier-grittier parts of the action-heavy role surprised him. In the movie, Elodie crawls through tight caverns, scales up cliffs, and flees from torrents of dragon flames.
“I was so amazed and impressed [with her] level of commitment to show the intensity of the whole journey: the pain, the running, the jumping, the intense fight she had to do to save her life,” says Fresnadillo. “I was so amazed by the way that she did it, because she was literally jumping into the water with no hesitation at all. So she has that kind of brave attitude, which is the sign of great actors.”
Fresnadillo really wanted a chance to reinvent an archetypical fantasy story for a modern audience, complete with a damsel in distress who’s saving herself. So it made sense when revamping the tale that the heroine at its core was someone who would resonate with that new generation.
“Elodie is a new voice for these kinds of stories,” he says. “It’s a classic tale with a modern twist through the eyes of this young woman. It’s a new take for new generations. And I’m so happy that [Millie], who represents the new generation of actresses, was willing to do it.”
Damsel is out on Netflix today.