Here be a DRAGON...

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN on fighting fire with fire in an epic escapade

- REBECCA MAHONEY

DAMSEL NEW FROM FRIDAY 8 MARCH, NETFLIX FANTASY DRAMA

From battling beasts in Stranger Things and two Godzilla movies to cracking mysteries in Enola Holmes, Millie Bobby Brown has carved out a career playing empowering heroines. Now, the British star is taking on a colossal, cavedwelling dragon in a new fantasy adventure that flips a fairy-tale story on its head.

Directed by 28 Weeks Later’s Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Damsel follows dutiful princess-to-be Elodie, who is heading for a fair amount of distress when she agrees to marry Prince Henry (Maid’s Nick Robinson).

AROARSOME CREATION

Production designers worked with visual-effects teams to create a different creature from previous depictions of dragons in film and TV.

'We didn't use lizards as references,' says VFX supervisor Nigel DentonHowes. 'We used cats for their limb proportions and movement, so our dragon is just as comfortable walking and running as she is flying.'

The team also wanted to give the dragon a unique sound and referenced footage of actor Shohreh Aghdashloo (pictured) recording her voice work to see 'where she was looking and the attitude of her face as she was delivering certain lines,' explains Nigel.

The appearance of dragon fire was crucial, too. 'It basically acts like an oil fire or napalm,' says Nigel. 'We never allow it to smoke either. It's subtle, but it makes it look like lava.'