‘Damsel’ is slashing its way into Netflix’s most-watched films ever list. Fans love it, but will there be a sequel?

Millie Bobby Brown plays a damsel in distress in the Netflix hit Damsel, but she doesn’t need a man to rescue her. After all, her prince is the one who put her in harm’s way.

There’s also no need of a rescue when it comes to views for the movie. Released on March 8, Damsel has consistently appeared on the global top 10 most-watched films list and even peaked at an impressive 50.8 million views during the week of March 11, easily garnering the top spot.

In the movie, according to the synopsis, a “dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive.”

“It subverts what you expect,” Brown told Netflix for a blog post. “You’re expecting the prince to turn around and save her, and … no. Don’t wait for the prince.”

The medieval drama is now on track to reach Netflix’s top 10 most popular movies ever and could soon replace Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth, which is currently in the 10th spot.

What has excited fans so much about the film? Could this spur the return of Brown’s heroine for a Damsel 2?

Who else stars in ‘Damsel,’ and how many views does it need to break into the top 10?

Damsel introduces us to Elodie, the daughter of Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone), whose land is facing peril as they struggle to make ends meet.

Bayford found an offer he couldn’t refuse, making a deal with Queen Isabelle of Aurea (Robin Wright).

This deal would arrange a marriage with Elodie and the queen’s son, Prince Henry. In exchange, Bayford would get a large amount of gold and resources needed to save his land. But the family would have to cut all connection to Elodie and, in an alarming twist, she would be sacrificed to a dragon — a deal the royals of Aurea made with the beast to keep it at bay.

The movie also stars Angela Bassett, who plays Lady Bayford, Elodie’s stepmother.

Kicking off its fifth week in the top 10 (April 1-7), Damsel had reached 120.8 million views, up from 115.9 million in the previous week. The film needed only 15 million more views to overtake Extraction at that point, so the next couple of weeks will be crucial.

What’s been resonating with audiences

Reviews for the film have been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave Damsel a 56% score, while audiences weighed in with a slightly higher 61% rating.

Viewers on social media have shared what’s appealed to them most about the film: Millie Bobby Brown’s solid performance, a clever plot twist and, not least of all, the fire-breathing dragon.

Others who have posted negative reviews have cited issues such as predictability and no desire to rewatch.

Brown’s career took off on Netflix as Eleven in Stranger Things, one of the platform’s most-watched shows. The British actress starred in and produced Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2, both popular original films. Damsel has continued her string of strong showings with the streaming giant.

“I couldn’t draw from anything because I’ve personally never read a story like Damsel,” Brown told Netflix. “With Eleven, I’m able to draw from Mad Max. Or, with Enola Holmes, I’m able to draw a little bit from Hermione in Harry Potter. I couldn’t find anyone for Elodie and so I knew I was going to have to create her.”

How does the budget compare to the rest of the top 10?

With a reported $60 million budget, Damsel would fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to the budgets of the top 10 films.

Red Notice (2021) became Netflix’s most expensive movie at the time, with a reported $200 million budget, but also became its most-watched movie within 18 days, overtaking the previous record held by Bird Box (2018).

The Gray Man (2022) reportedly also cost a whopping $200 million and sits at sixth place on the most-watched-ever list.

But some movies on the cheaper side, like Bird Box ($19.8 million) and 2022 entry Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery ($40 million), are also sitting comfortably in the top 10.

Here’s a list of estimated budgets for Netflix’s top 10 movies:

1. Red Notice, $200 million

2. Don’t Look Up, $75 million

3. The Adam Project, $116 million

4. Bird Box, $19.8 million

5. Leave The World Behind, $70 million

6. The Gray Man, $200 million

7. We Can Be Heroes, $20 million

8. The Mother, $43 million

9. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, $40 million

10. Extraction, $65 million

Will there be a sequel?

A majority of the films in Netflix’s top 10 most-popular list either already have a sequel or there are reports of one in the works. Extraction already has a sequel. Glass Onion is a sequel. (The first movie was released theatrically.) Bird Box had a spin-off Barcelona version.

Red Notice, The Gray Man and The Mother reportedly have a sequel under way.

There has been no official word on a part two for Damsel, but it’s still a new film and the movie’s director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, has acknowledged the possibility of it happening.

Fresnadillo told the Inside Total Film podcast during the March 7 episode that it would depend on how audiences react to the original version.

“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,” he said.

With the strong viewership numbers and plenty of positive chatter on social media platforms, audiences appear receptive to seeing Damsel conquer yet another challenge.

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