Once upon a time, in a land far away, a beautiful princess was captured by a terrible dragon. Many tried to fight the beast, but it was only the handsome prince who was strong enough to slay the dragon and rescue his new bride. And they all lived happily ever after.
‘I think we’re owed a new fairy tale…’ laughs director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, chatting to Total Film as he puts the last few touches on Damsel – a film that puts a new spin on the same story we’ve been hearing since the Dark Ages. ‘For a very long time, fairy tales attached so much importance to the idea of romance. This isn’t that story,’ he explains. ‘This is a fighter survivor story. A modern story. A dark fantasy adventure story that actually needs to be told – and with some urgency’.
To begin with, Damsel’s princess isn’t captured by the dragon at all: she’s thrown into its lair as a human sacrifice (and it’s the handsome prince that chucks her in…). More importantly though, she’s the one who has to save herself. Millie Bobby Brown is Princess Elodie: betrayed by her own father (Ray Winstone), stepmother (Angela Bassett), queen (Robin Wright) and new husband (Nick Robinson) before being lobbed into a pit to face a terrifying monster.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Total Film.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Total Film.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND-YEAR DOOR
Return of the origami king...
TURKISH DELIGHT
CROSSING Levan Akin's 'odd couple' story finds community and empathy in Istanbul...
DAD DANCING
DAUGHTERS A Netflix doc sheds light on a programme that reunites girls of colour with their incarcerated fathers.
THE ITALIAN JOB
MY SPY: THE ETERNAL CITY Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman take a trip to the Vaticanand get more than they bargained for...
NEW BEGINNINGS COLLEEN HOOVER'S IT ENDS WITH US
Blake Lively stars in the bestseller adaptation.
THE WILD BUNCH
BORDERLANDS Eli Roth turns sci-fi worldbuilder for a gonzo video-game adaptation with the year's most bonkers cast.
FRENCH FANCIES
Our guide to the best of this year's CANNES FILM FESTIVAL....
SNAKES ON A PLANE
COBRA KAI S6 The final season sees the titular dojo jet off to the world championships. Spoilers for S1-5 ahead...
APOCALYPSE VOW
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY S4 Steve Blackman promises answers as his superheroes return one last time. Spoilers for S1-3 ahoy...
RETURN OF THE RINGS
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER S2 The showrunners talk breaking bad for Season 2...