The Big Picture

Brown’s portrayal of Princess Elodie in ‘Damsel’ brings a modern twist to the classic fantasy tale of sacrifice and survival.
The actress discusses her continued partnership with Netflix, facing fears on set, and working with Hollywood legends in the film.
Fans can look forward to Brown’s involvement in projects like ‘Enola Holmes 3’ and ‘The Electric State’ beyond her iconic role in ‘Stranger Things.’

Millie Bobby Brown’s domination of Netflix continues with her dark fantasy, Damsel, a fairy tale flipped upside down in which Brown serves as lead and executive producer. In the movie, Princess Elodie (Brown) marries a prince and is welcomed into the royal family — your typical fantasy happy ending, if only the credits rolled there. In this contemporary take, however, Elodie is sacrificed to appease an ancient debt, and when she finds herself in a deadly fight for survival, she realizes no one else is coming to save her.

From Stranger Things to the Enola Holmes movies, Brown’s career has been rooted with the streaming giant. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, the actress discusses the hit sci-fi series coming to its Season 5 finale this year, whether we should hold out hope for a third Enola Holmes, and talks about the footage she’s seen of the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State. The Damsel star also talks about facing her fears on set, working with Angela Bassett and Robin Wright, and more. You can catch the full conversation in the video above, or you can read the transcript below.

Damsel 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.Release Date March 8, 2024 Runtime 85 minutes Main Genre Fantasy Studio Netflix

COLLIDER: I’ve got a ton of questions, but I think I’m gonna start with the most important upfront, which is that your relationship with Netflix has been positive for both you and for Netflix. Have they finally given you a lifetime subscription for free or do you still have to pay every month?

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: You know what? I think I’ll forever be in debt to Netflix because they’re my boss, so I’m gonna pay for my subscription because I’m gonna be forever saying thank you to them for the opportunities they’ve given me.

Yeah, they have absolutely changed your life.

BROWN: Yeah, so $8 a month, that will be fine.

Millie Bobby Brown Spills the Tea on ‘Enola Holmes 3’
Image by Zanda Rice

I’m a fan of the Enola Holmes movies.

BROWN: Me too.

Last time I spoke to you I asked you about a sequel, you said maybe, and it ended up happening. So this is me again asking, do you think you’re making another one or was it two and done?

BROWN: Maybe. [Laughs] Insider with Collider.

Right. But you’re a producer on that franchise, so are you developing it or are you working on other things?

BROWN: I pay a subscription every month to Netflix. And that’s the tea.

[Laughs] I understand. So, true or false, you did Damsel purely because you get to fight a dragon?

BROWN: False. That’s, like, my least favorite part. My favorite part is dressing up as a princess, having long hair, working with Robin Wright and Angela Bassett, and then fighting the dragon.

Image via Netflix

You said that you enjoyed the dress up part, but I’m pretty sure when I saw you putting on the 17 layers of clothing you were like, “No.”

BROWN: Well, here’s the thing, I liked the dress. I liked it. Did I like wearing it? No. But did I like it? Yes, I did. Hated wearing it. It’s horrible. Wearing a corset and fighting a dragon is pretty impossible to do. So you just have to figure out different ways of breathing. You don’t think like that but you have to. You have to think of different things to eat for lunch and different ways to breathe because you can’t eat anything too heavy because you have to jump from cave to cave, but you also can’t eat anything too heavy because you have to maintain a certain, I mean, shape. Yeah, the odd rib or two, out the window. [Laughs] I’m just kidding, but it did feel like that scene from Titanic when the mom is, like, cinching her in. Moving around in that, it’s very difficult, but she’s got an hourglass shape.

Millie Bobby Brown Says ‘The Electric State’ Looks Amazing
Image by Annamaria Ward

I am really looking forward to The Electric State. I brought this up with you last time we spoke. Have the Russo Brothers shown you anything from the movie?

BROWN: They are very good with me. They show me everything. Like if I asked them, I love that about them. They’re very open and transparent. They’ve got nothing to hide. Yeah, they’ve shown me bits and pieces, and from what I’ve seen, it looks amazing.

I’m confident it’s going to deliver in spectacle. Do you know when it’s actually coming out? Is it the summer or is it further away?

BROWN: You know what? Again, I mean, I don’t pay a monthly subscription to the Russos, although I probably would because they have a lot of knowledge, but again, you’re going to have to email them. I’ll text him and I’ll get back to you.

You’re obviously filming Stranger Things, I think through the summer or whenever it wraps. Have you already thought about what you want to do once that wraps later this year or is it just too far away to think about?

BROWN: No, I think it’s probably a good question to ask, like, what job am I gonna do after that? I think I know, like, a good plan of what I wanna do because Netflix is home, always.

So you’re saying to me it’s Enola Holmes 3? I’m joking.

BROWN: You’re your own little Enola Homes.

Right, exactly.

Millie Bobby Brown Knows What Happens to Eleven in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5
Image via Jefferson Chacon

My last thing for you, obviously like everyone, I am a huge fan of Stranger Things and I’m just curious, have you been able to read the finale script or are they holding that back for when you guys can all read it together? That’s gonna be a very big moment, that final thing.

BROWN: Nope, we haven’t read any scripts yet. I know what happens to my character but I don’t know what happens to others. So I think, yeah, they’re holding it back until we’re all together and we can all cry and be sad together.

I can’t imagine. This is such a huge part of your life for so long. I can’t imagine it coming to a close and the emotions of this chapter being over. But it opens the door to so much else.

BROWN: Yeah, it’s really conflicting because it’s something that you love and it’s something that you’re used to, and it’s like a comfort thing. But then taking your comfort blanket away and having to really step into your own, it’s exciting, but it’s also really scary. So, yeah, I think that it’s really conflicting.

Damsel is streaming now on Netflix.

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