The Netflix Success Of Ella Purnell’s Underrated $296 Million Fantasy Movie Proves It Needed A Sequel

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, starring Ella Purnell, has found streaming success on Netflix, proving that the movie deserved a sequel. The 2016 Tim Burton movie adapts Ransom Riggs’ novel, which follows a teenager named Jacob Portman who learns that the fantastical stories told by his grandfather, Abe Portman, are true. Jacob encounters peculiars, individuals with rare abilities, and terrifying monsters that hunt the peculiars, all while going on his own hero’s journey. Purnell plays a peculiar named Emma Bloom who grows close to Jacob.

Despite the novel’s popularity and the story seeming like a perfect fit for Burton’s directing style, it received mixed reviews. However, eight years later, the fantasy movie became a Netflix hit, as it earned the number one spot in Netflix’s Global Top 10 during the week of September 30-October 6 with 7.1 million views and 15.1 million hours viewed. This success is a reminder that Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is one of Ella Purnell’s best movies and an underrated story that should have received a sequel.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’s Netflix Success Proves It Needed A Sequel

There Is Still Immense Interest In The Peculiars’ World

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenperforming so well on Netflix eight years after its theatrical release proves that there is still significant interest in the story. It outperformed the well-reviewed Rebel Ridge, which had been Netflix’s most-watched movie for three out of the four weeks prior. Purnell’s starring role certainly adds some appeal to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, as the movie was released years before she became well-known for her roles in Yellowjackets, Arcane, and Fallout.

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The impressive streaming numbers indicate a widespread interest that goes beyond a single actor, though. The sequence in which Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) resets the time loop, as the song “Run, Rabbit, Run” became a TikTok sensation years later, which likely contributed to the Netflix viewership. The weird, fantastical, and eerie story and intricate world-building is still intriguing and is worthy of more exploration, with the first movie only scratching the surface of the universe from Riggs’ source material.

Ransom Riggs’ Books Offered Plenty Of Material For Another Movie

There Is Much Left To Explore

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was only the first of numerous books that Riggs wrote in the fictional universe he created. Hollow City and Library of Souls completes the original trilogy that begins with Jacob listening to his grandfather’s stories and learning of peculiars. The original trilogy of books is followed by a sequel trilogy featuring the books A Map of Days, The Conference of the Birds, and The Desolations of Devil’s Acre. There is plenty of material to adapt from these books in a potential Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children movie sequel.

The final act of the 2016 movie does make significant changes from the original novel, including how it changes the fate of Abe (Terence Stamp) and the conflict with the monsters is resolved. These changes set up an entirely different sequel for Jacob (Asa Butterfield), Emma, Miss Peregrine, and the other peculiars. Nevertheless, there are still elements from Riggs’ other books that could have made a sequel work, even if it was not a direct adaptation. The first movie primarily focused on Miss Peregrine’s loop, but there are many other loops to explore from the books.

Why Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Never Got A Sequel

It Was Not A Critical Or Commercial Hit

A Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children sequel never happened because the movie was not a major box office success, and it garnered mixed reviews from critics and general audiences. It was not a box office bomb as it grossed $296 million worldwide against a $110 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and was number one at the box office during its opening weekend. However, it did not meet the high expectations that came with the adaptation of a popular young adult fantasy novel directed by Burton.

If the movie had been better-received, a sequel may have had more of a chance, but it only received a 65% critical score and 60% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is only in more recent years, since it began streaming on Disney+ and Netflix, that the movie has gained more widespread traction and even found its way into a social media trend. Unfortunately, it is likely too little too late for a Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children sequel, although anything is possible in an age where any intellectual property can be revived.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes

When Jacob discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen when he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers. Based on the 2011 novel by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was directed by Tim Burton and stars Eva Green as the titular character.

Release Date

September 30, 2016

Writers

Jane Goldman

Cast

Asa Butterfield , Raffiella Chapman , Milo Parker , Rupert Everett , Kim Dickens , O-Lan Jones , Allison Janney , Terence Stamp , Samuel L. Jackson , Ella Wahlestedt , Eva Green , Ella Purnell , judi dench , Chris O’Dowd

Runtime

127 minutes

Budget

$110 million

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