The Universe Is Really Open

Summary

• Damsel
  director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo hints at a potential sequel, depending on audience reception and the star power of Millie Bobby Brown.
• Critical reviews for the fantasy action movie are mixed, but strong viewership could determine the likelihood of a sequel.
• The ending also sets up exciting possibilities for future installments, leaving the door open for a potential follow-up.

Damsel director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo gives a hopeful update on the chances of Damsel 2. The movie is Millie Bobby Brown’s latest collaboration with Netflix after she worked with the streamer on Stranger Things and the Enola Holmes film series. Fresnadillo’s movie sees Brown as Princess Elodie, a young woman who agrees to a marriage proposal from the royal family of Aurea in hopes of bettering her own family’s and village’s status. However, the family has more sinister plans for Elodie, resulting in her fighting for survival in a dragon-inhabited cave.

While appearing on the Inside Total Film podcast, Fresnadillo addressed the possibility of a Damsel sequel. Fresnadillo explained that whether a sequel will happen largely depends on the audience and their reaction to the movie. However, he confirms that he would personally be “so happy” to make a sequel. He also teased how the Damsel world is capable of expansion, especially given the ending twist. Check out his statement below:

I mean, I will be so happy to do a sequel for Damsel. But obviously, we have to wait to see what the audience thinks and how they react to the movie. It’s true that the universe of Damsel is really open. Especially because, you know, of the new configuration of the family. In the story [there’s] this new member, we shouldn’t say too much about that [but] it invites you to think about more adventures with them. So definitely, if that happens, I will be so happy to make it for sure.

How Likely Is Damsel 2 To Happen?

It’s too early to tell whether a sequel will actually happen, given that Damsel only just debuted on Netflix. A large part of whether another movie is greenlit will depend on its reviews and viewership rates. As of now, only early critical reviews are available, and they’re quite mixed, making it difficult to predict their impact. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently sits at a 60% critics score based on 70 reviews. The score is a slight improvement, as the movie originally debuted at 56%, however, the score is expected to keep changing as more reviews come in.

Still, if Damsel can maintain at least a mixed-to-positive score, it could be enough to draw viewers in rather than turn them away. Additionally, critical scores don’t dominate whether a film is greenlit, as streamers give much weight to viewership. Several critically acclaimed shows have been canceled over poor viewership, while films with far more mixed or negative reception, like Murder Mystery, received sequels due to drawing in high viewership. Regardless of critical reception, Damsel is likely to gain decent viewership simply from the star power of Brown, boding well for its performance in this area.

The movie already has strong potential for viewership and a director eager to expand the universe. On top of that, Damsel‘s ending leaves room for more. The story ends with a new royal configuration that opens up many exciting possibilities for future installments. While viewers must wait and see how Damsel is ultimately received by audiences, the door is certainly still open for a potential sequel.

Damsel is now streaming on Netflix.

Source: Inside Total Film