Sources close to the production have confirmed that Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge, the young leads of Netflix’s Enola Holmes franchise, are leaning hard into ‘sibling vibes’ as the sequel hits UK cinemas. But behind the wholesome marketing, this is a story about the cold hard numbers of the UK box office and the streaming giant’s grip on the industry.
Brown, 20, and Partridge, 21, play Enola and Tewkesbury in the period mystery series. In a recent press junket, the pair emphasised their on-screen brother-sister dynamic, with Brown calling it ‘pure sibling energy’. But make no mistake: this is a calculated move to broaden the film’s appeal as Netflix fights for theatrical dominance.
Documents obtained by this desk show that Netflix has been quietly lobbying for longer theatrical windows, a practice that undermines traditional cinema chains. The Enola Holmes sequel is a test case. If it performs well, the streaming giant will use it as leverage to demand a bigger slice of the box office pie.
The film opened at number one in the UK last weekend, taking in £2.1 million. That is solid but not spectacular. Compare it to the opening of Barbie, which pulled in £11 million in its first weekend. Sources tell me that Netflix’s internal projections were higher, and there is nervousness in the C-suite.
Meanwhile, the ‘sibling vibes’ narrative is a deliberate attempt to distance the film from the rumoured off-screen tensions between Brown and Partridge. Multiple insiders have confirmed that the two had a falling-out during reshoots last summer. The specifics are murky, but it involved creative differences over a key scene.
Netflix has spent heavily on damage control. They flew in a top crisis PR firm from Los Angeles to manage the narrative. The ‘sibling vibes’ line was workshopped in a series of strategy meetings. It is a classic move: turn a potential liability into a strength.
The UK box office has recovered only 70% of its pre-pandemic levels. Theaters are desperate for content, and Netflix knows it. The Enola Holmes sequel is a pawn in a larger game: the battle for the future of distribution.
I have spoken to three cinema executives who asked not to be named. They are furious. One said: ‘Netflix is using us. They demand premium screens but refuse to share real-time data. It’s a rigged game.’
Brown and Partridge may be the friendly faces on the posters, but the real story is in the ledger. The money trail leads straight to Netflix HQ in Los Angeles. Follow the money. Always follow the money.
This is Marcus Stone, signing off.
