‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’: Tim Burton Fantasy Movie Deserves a Sequel

Tim Burton is renowned for his movie style, which combines fantasy, whimsical, and dark aspects in a way that no other filmmaker can match. Even though his most recent films haven’t always lived up to the hype, Burton has established himself as a cinematic icon throughout the years. Despite earning more than $1 billion, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ received negative reviews for her hideous imagery, and movies like ‘Dark Shadows’ were a total bust. As a result, ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ didn’t get the recognition it merited, and its poor box office performance caused many of Burton’s devoted admirers to avoid it. The movie nevertheless leaves room for a sequel and sticks out as a fascinating take on dark fantasy.

‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’, which is based on Ransom Riggs’ best-selling book, centres on Jake Portman (Asa Butterfield), a teenager who learns about invisible monsters known as “Hollows” from his grandpa. Jake is taken to an enigmatic school run by Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine (Eva Green) to discover more about his special talents. 

Image Courtesy: Prime Video

The intrigue intensifies as Jake and his aerokinetic buddy Emma Bloom (Ella Purnell) fight back against the evil Frederick Bannon (Samuel L. Jackson), who is attempting to kidnap the oddball kids. The mythology of the realm is expertly established throughout the film, but it mostly lays the groundwork for a possible sequel in which these individuals could embark on even more exciting adventures.

The ongoing conflict between good and evil, which may make for an even more thrilling plotline on screen, is explored in greater detail in the sequel to Riggs’ series. The following books, which offer darker, more intense narratives with horror overtones, examine Jake’s development and interactions with the odd children. Given his track record of fusing youthful adventure with dark themes in films like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, Burton is a perfect choice to direct such a sequel.

Image Courtesy: IMDb

Compared to when the original movie came out, Burton is now in a stronger position to direct a sequel. His capacity to create great sequels is demonstrated by his recent success with ‘Wednesday’, a well-liked series with similar dark fantasy elements, and ‘Beetlejuice 2’. The success of Fox’s franchises indicates that Disney might permit creative flexibility for the next projects, despite his prior reluctance to collaborate with the studio following ‘Dumbo’. 

Ella Purnell, a rising talent whose performance in ‘Fallout’ has garnered her significant recognition, could also be a good addition to a sequel. It would make sense for Purnell to take the lead because Emma is the main character in the second book, ‘Hollow City’. A Miss Peregrine sequel might be Burton’s ideal next move, especially considering the film’s favourable reviews on streaming services.

–Farheen Ali