Millie Bobby Brown plays a damsel in distress in the Netflix hit Maiden, but she doesn’t need a man to rescue her. After all, it was her prince who put her in danger.
There’s also no need for ransom when it comes to movie views. Released on March 8, Maiden has consistently appeared in the global top 10 most-watched films list and even reached an impressive peak 50.8 million views during the week of March 11easily taking first place.
In the film, according to the synopsis, a “dutiful maiden agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to discover that the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to pay off an old 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 said Netflix for a blog post. “You’re waiting for the prince to turn around and save you, and… no. Don’t wait for the prince.
Medieval drama is now on its way to achieving Netflix’s 10 most popular films of all time and could soon replace Extractionstarring Chris Hemsworth, which is currently at #10.
What excited fans so much about the film? Could this spur the return of Brown’s heroine for a Maiden 2?
Who else stars in ‘Damsel’ and how many views does it take to break into the top 10?
Maiden introduces us to Elodie, daughter of Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone), whose lands face danger as they struggle to survive.
Bayford found an offer he couldn’t refuse, making a deal with Queen Elizabeth of Aurea (Robin Wright).
This deal would arrange a marriage with Elodie and the queen’s son, Prince Henry. In return, Bayford would receive a large amount of gold and resources needed to save his lands. But the family would have to cut all ties with Elodie and, in an alarming twist, she would be sacrificed to a dragon – a deal Aurea’s royals made with the beast to keep her at bay.
The film also stars Angela Bassett, who plays Lady Bayford, Elodie’s stepmother.
Starting its fifth week in the top 10 (April 1-7), Maiden reached 120.8 million views, up from 115.9 million the previous week. The film needed just 15 million more views to surpass Extraction at that point, so the next few weeks will be crucial.
What is resonating with the public
Reviews for the film were mixed. About Rotten tomatoescritics gave Maiden a score of 56%, while the public weighed in with a slightly higher rating of 61%.
Viewers on social media shared what attracted them most to the film: Millie Bobby Brown’s solid performance, a clever plot twist and, not least, the fire-breathing dragon.
Others who posted negative reviews cited issues such as predictability and a lack of desire to watch it again.
Maaannn that film Maiden on Netflix is !! It wasn’t at all what I expected! Know that I love some action with a dragon!!!!!
– Chá Doce, RN (@Ms_SunKissed) April 4, 2024
Maiden, from Netflix
Very good
— ®ubén Montoya (@ruben_cosmico) April 5, 2024
I just finished watching The Damsel on Netflix. It was ok. Good CGI. Watchable story, but a little predictable. It’s to watch once and move on. There is probably nothing to be gained from a new observation.
– Fat girl on the train (@AmandaJDee) April 12, 2024
Brown’s career took off on Netflix as Eleven in Weird stuff, one of the most watched programs on the platform. The British actress starred in and produced Enola Holmes It is Enola Holmes 2both popular original films. Maiden continued its run of strong showings with the streaming giant.
“I couldn’t get anything out of it because I personally have never read a story like Maiden,” Brown told Netflix. “With Eleven, I am able to extract Mad Max. Or, with Enola Holmes, I can draw a little Hermione Harry Potter. I couldn’t find anyone for Elodie and so I knew I had to raise her.”
How does the budget compare to the rest of the top 10?
With a reported budget of $60 million, Maiden would fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to the budgets of the top 10 films.
Red Warning (2021) became Netflix’s most expensive film at the time, with an estimated budget of $200 million, but it also became its most watched film in 18 dayssurpassing the previous record held by Bird Box (2018).
The Gray Man (2022) supposedly it also cost a whopping $200 million and ranks sixth on the most-watched list of all time.
But some cheaper films, like bird box ($19.8 million) and entry in 2022 Glass onion: a mystery with knives ($40 million), are also comfortably in the top 10.
Here is a list of estimated budgets for the top 10 movies on Netflix:
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Red Warning, US$200 million
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Don’t look up, US$75 million
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The Adam Project, US$116 million
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bird box, US$19.8 million
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Leave the world behind, US$70 million
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The Gray Man, US$200 million
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We can be heroes, US$20 million
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The mother, US$43 million
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Glass onion: a mystery with knives, US$40 million
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Extraction, US$65 million
Will there be a sequel?
Most of the films on Netflix’s top 10 list already have a sequel or are reported to be in the works. Extraction It already has a sequel. Glass Onion It is a sequel. (The first film was released in theaters.) bird box there was a spin-off version of Barcelona.
Red Warning, The Gray Man It is The mother reportedly has a sequel in the works.
There has been no official word on the second part for Maidenbut it’s still a new film and the film’s director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, acknowledged the possibility of this happening.
Fresnadillo told the Inside Total Film podcast during the March 7 episode, it would depend on how audiences reacted to the original version.
“I mean, I would be very happy to do a sequel to Maiden. But obviously we have to wait and see what the audience thinks and how they react to the film,” he said.
With the strong viewership numbers and lots of positive conversations on social media platforms, audiences seem receptive to seeing Maiden conquer another challenge.
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