Why ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Deserves a Sequel

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With Ella Purnell’s breakthrough TV success in 2024, it might be worthwhile for Tim Burton to consider a sequel to the unlucky “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” released in 2016. This teen fantasy film shares elements with “Harry Potter” and “X-Men,” weaving a story around the enigmatic denizens of the named home, where extraordinary youths with unique abilities mature, hone their skills, and learn to accept their peculiar traits while battling a formidable adversary.

Although garnering a mix of positive feedback and significantly surpassing its budget at international box offices, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children unfortunately did not proceed with its intended cinematic follow-up. With a full decade having passed since then and Ella Purnell achieving great success in Hollywood, it seems fitting that Tim Burton Productions and 20th Century Fox reconsider the film and greenlight an official sequel now.

Who Is Ella Purnell?

Ella Purnell is a talented actress from England, who first appeared on screen in the 2010 film “Never Let Me Go.” Since then, she has accumulated more than 30 roles, gaining recognition through her appearances in major studio films such as “Kick-Ass 2” and “Maleficent.” In 2014, Ella made her television debut with “Agatha Christie: Ordeal by Innocence.” After a brief return to the small screen in 2018 with “Sweetbitter,” Ella’s filmography includes titles like “Wildlike,” “The Legend of Tarzan,” “The Journey Is The Destination,” “Access All Areas,” and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

Instead of diving straight into why Miss Peregrine didn’t quite warrant a sequel, let’s first explore Jane Purnell’s Hollywood journey over the past decade. Despite Miss Peregrine not propelling her to A-list status, she’s been consistently impressive, particularly on television. Since 2020, her TV roles have included Belgravia, Yellowjackets, Arcane, and Fallout, in addition to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

In Hollywood’s elite circle, two highly successful video game adaptations, Arcane and Fallout, have propelled Purnell. Although these projects have brought her immense fame, Purnell has expressed her desire to avoid being stereotyped as the “video game actress.” A perfect opportunity for her to break free from this stereotype could be by reprising her role as Emma in a sequel of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. (GamesRadar+)

What Is ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’ About?

In the fantasy novel “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” the story revolves around a group of unique individuals learning to accept and cherish their extraordinary qualities. The narrative primarily follows Jacob Portman (Asa Butterfield), a 16-year-old who has been captivated by tales of this mysterious “Home” told by his grandfather, Abraham (Terence Stamp).

When Jake’s therapist advises him to journey overseas to a school situated off the Welsh coast as a means of coping with Abe’s demise, Jake encounters the enigmatic headmistress, Miss Peregrine (played by Eva Green). This extraordinary woman supervises a collection of unique children, referred to as “Peculiars.” These Peculiars have extraordinary abilities and reside within a time loop in September 1943, which shields them from persecution due to their differences and allows them to repeatedly experience the same day.

As Jake is presented to the students, he’s instantly attracted to Emma Bloom (Purnell), a spirited teenager who can control air and wind with her mind, as well as breathe underwater. It turns out that Jake, too, possesses unusual abilities – the power to see unseen creatures (called Hollows) much like Abe does. Emma assists Jake in mastering his powers. In the course of their escapades, it becomes apparent that Emma was romantically involved with Abe in the 1940s, creating an uncomfortable situation for their modern-day relationship.

Beyond the captivating dynamic between Purnell and Butterfield, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children performed well above expectations and garnered mostly favorable reviews from critics. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t generate enough success to warrant a sequel, a decision that Tim Burton and Fox should reconsider without delay.

Why ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’ Deserves a Sequel

Praised by critics as one of Tim Burton’s finest works in recent years, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is currently receiving favorable reviews with a 65% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 57 Metascore on Metacritic. The audience has also taken a liking to the film, as indicated by its 6.7 IMDb rating, 60% Popcornmeter score, and B+ CinemaScore grade. While there are clear influences from Harry Potter and X-Men, Tim Burton’s unique whimsy and visual style are undoubtedly the standout features of the film.

I can’t help but feel that even the most glowing reviews didn’t fully capture the potential of a Miss Peregrine sequel. But when you look at the numbers, it’s hard to understand why 20th Century Fox passed up on what could have been a goldmine in movie franchises. The film made an impressive $296.5 million worldwide against a budget of just $110 million (as reported by The Numbers). That means it nearly tripled its production costs!

However, the domestic earnings of $87 million might have played a part in Fox’s decision not to pursue a sequel, despite the generally positive reviews. With the benefit of hindsight and a decade’s worth of reflection, I believe it’s high time for Fox and Tim Burton to revisit Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children once more.

Ella Purnell is currently one of the most sizzling stars in Hollywood in 2025, and Burton has experienced a comeback with Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Given that Purnell’s fame has skyrocketed following Arcane and Fallow, and Burton’s recent success streak, they could both significantly gain from rejoining for a Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children sequel, which was initially intended to be a series by Fox. The subsequent novels by Riggs, Hollow City and Library of Souls, offer potential storylines for continuation.

Since the fourth book titled “A Map of Days” was released in 2018, there’s now enough content for Ella Purnell to reprise her role in “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”. Given Tim Burton and Ella Purnell’s popularity at the moment, and the original film making more money and receiving better reviews than one might recall, it seems this underappreciated YA fantasy deserves a sequel. By the way, you can stream “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children” on Max.

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2025-01-12 07:01