Enola Holmes 2 and Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown recently sat down with Enola Holmes director Harry Bradbeer to discuss the themes, ideas, and motivations behind the upcoming historical mystery film, in which Brown stars alongside Henry Cavill (The Witcher) as Enola Holmes, the younger sister to Cavill’s Sherlock.
Following the theme of female empowerment that appeared in the first Enola Holmes (2020), Bradbeer and the producers of Enola Holmes 2 have chosen to center the film around real-life stories of female oppression and liberation, painting Enola Holmes as a young lady teetering on the brink of womanhood and struggling with a variety of social pressures while also trying to run her own detective agency. In a deviation from the Enola Holmes novels by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes 2 will reportedly be centered around the real-life Matchgirls’ strike of 1888, where the young women and girls working in the Bryant & May match-making factory in London went on strike to protest their poor working conditions, poor pay, and fourteen-hour workdays, among other issues.
In an interview with Deadline, Enola Holmes 2 director Harry Bradbeer outlined his reasoning for choosing the setting of the film, stating that “We wanted to find a way that brought Enola into contact with a whole new world and a whole new range of young women and girls…the idea of the matchgirls’ strike seemed to be a perfect way of telling a story about sisterhood and union and having the courage to stand up.”
Together with Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), also known as Enola Holmes herself, Bradbeer also went into detail on how Enola has changed as a character from her appearances in the first film, from her physical growth to her development as a detective running her own agency.
Brown also added that “the first time around I was by myself. I was this girl trying to find herself…and the second time when Harry pitched me the idea, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to be working with more women–that’s perfect.’”
Millie Bobby Brown on Pulling Henry Cavill ‘Out of His Comfort Zone’
Along with following Enola’s character growth as she finds her footing in the dangerous world of 1880s London, Enola Holmes 2 will also reportedly follow the growth of Enola’s relationship with her brother, Sherlock, who is played by Man of Steel star Henry Cavill. When asked about the differences between herself and Cavill, Millie Bobby Brown admitted that her co-star was the better problem solver, explaining that “He’s a very rational man. Me, I’m a bit manic. I’ll try everything in order to solve something. Whereas he usually just gets it dead on right.”
Bradbeer also added that in the filming of Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2, Cavill is “learning to be fun” and that, like his on-screen character, Cavill’’s learning lessons in spontaneity and relaxation with the help of Brown, with whom Henry has a “very interesting, enjoyable dynamic where they’re always poking at each other.”
Speaking on her dynamic with Henry Cavill, Millie Bobby Brown stated the following:
In concluding the interview with Deadline, Enola Holmes 2 director Harry Bradbeer and Millie Bobby Brown expressed their overall excitement regarding the upcoming film and Brown’s gratitude at not only being able to grow beyond her breakout role as Eleven in Stranger Things but also to star alongside big names in Hollywood like Helena Bonham Carter, among others.
Enola Holmes 2, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill, will be released Friday. November 4th, on Netflix.
