Tim Burton has a thing for outcasts. It’s his whole brand. But when he tackled Ransom Riggs' best-selling novel, the stakes felt different because the source material was built on actual vintage photography of "strange" kids. The cast of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children had to bridge the gap between creepy black-and-white photos and a big-budget 2016 blockbuster. It wasn't just about finding talented kids; it was about finding actors who could look like they belonged in 1943 while carrying the emotional weight of a modern YA protagonist.
Honestly? Some of them nailed it. Others were victims of a script that swapped powers around—a move that still annoys book purists to this day.
The heavy hitters who anchored the loop
Eva Green is the glue. Without her, the movie probably falls apart. Burton has called her his "muse" for a reason; she has this jittery, bird-like energy that makes the character of Alma LeFay Peregrine feel dangerous yet protective. She didn't just play a headmistress. She played an Ymbryne. Her performance relied heavily on sharp, calculated movements and that piercing gaze that suggests she’s seeing three different timelines at once. Green was coming off a massive run with Penny Dreadful at the time, and you can see that gothic DNA bleeding into her performance here.
Then you have Asa Butterfield. He played Jake, our eyes and ears. Before he was the awkward Otis Milburn on Sex Education, Butterfield was the go-to kid for "observant and slightly traumatized." By the time he joined the cast of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, he already had The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Hugo under his belt. He’s good at playing the "ordinary" boy who discovers he’s anything but, though some fans felt Jake was a bit too passive compared to his book counterpart.
The peculiar kids and the great power swap
The biggest controversy? Emma and Olive.
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In the books, Emma Bloom is the one with fire in her hands. She’s volatile. She’s literally "hot-headed." But for the film, Burton decided to give the fire power to Olive (played by Lauren McCrostie) and gave Emma the ability to float. This meant Ella Purnell had to spend a huge chunk of the production wearing lead shoes or being harnessed up in the air. Purnell, who has since skyrocketed to massive fame in Fallout and Yellowjackets, brought a weightlessness—pun intended—to the role that felt genuinely ethereal.
The rest of the household was a mix of practical effects and young actors who really had to sell the "stuck in time" vibe:
- Finlay MacMillan (Enoch): The resident "creepy kid" who brings dolls to life. He’s basically a mini-necromancer. MacMillan played him with a cynical, Scottish edge that provided a much-needed contrast to Jake’s earnestness.
- Pixie Davies (Bronwyn): The tiny girl with super strength. There’s a specific charm in seeing a ten-year-old lift a boulder over her head, and Davies handled the physical comedy of the role perfectly.
- Raffiella Chapman (Claire): She’s the one with the extra mouth in the back of her head. Most of her performance was hidden by hair and VFX, but the "dinner scene" remains one of the most memorable—and disgusting—parts of the film.
- Cameron King (Millard): Basically just a voice. Millard is invisible. King had the difficult task of acting without being seen, relying entirely on comedic timing and physical props like floating clothes.
Samuel L. Jackson and the villains
Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Barron was a choice.
He’s not in the books. He’s a composite character created for the movie to give the audience a tangible, scenery-chewing villain. While some felt his presence turned a gothic fairy tale into a standard superhero flick, Jackson clearly had a blast. He brought a manic, white-haired energy to the Wights that kept the movie from getting too bogged down in its own melancholy. He’s the reason the third act feels so frenetic.
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Then there’s the legendary Judi Dench. She plays Miss Avocet. It’s a relatively small role, but having a Dame on set lends a certain level of gravitas to the world-building. When she’s scared, you’re scared. It’s that simple.
Why the casting mattered for the 2010s YA craze
The mid-2010s were drowning in YA adaptations. The Hunger Games was winding down, Divergent was tripping over itself, and every studio wanted a piece of the "special teen" pie. The cast of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children stood out because they weren't trying to be "cool" rebels. They were weird.
Burton leaned into the physical oddities. This wasn't about being "chosen" to save the world in a leather jacket; it was about a group of kids who were hidden away because they didn't fit in. The chemistry between the actors felt like a genuine, albeit dysfunctional, family. You could believe they had lived in that same house for seventy years.
Where is the cast now?
If you look back at this roster today, it’s a goldmine of current talent.
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Ella Purnell is arguably the biggest breakout. Her work as Lucy in Fallout has made her a household name. Asa Butterfield became a Netflix staple with four seasons of Sex Education. Eva Green continues to be the queen of atmospheric indies and French cinema, recently starring in The Three Musketeers duology.
As for the younger kids? Many have stayed in the industry. Finlay MacMillan appeared in The A List, and Pixie Davies went on to star in Mary Poppins Returns. It’s rare for a large ensemble of child actors to all maintain steady careers, but the "Peculiars" seem to have managed it quite well.
Reality check: Why wasn't there a sequel?
Despite a decent box office showing—making roughly $296 million worldwide—a sequel never materialized. The movie took significant liberties with the plot, particularly the ending. By the time the credits roll, the story is pretty much wrapped up in a way that makes following the second book (Hollow City) nearly impossible without some major retconning.
Fans of the book series were vocal about the "power swap" between Emma and Olive, and the tone shift in the final act didn't sit right with everyone. It remains a standalone piece of Burton’s filmography—beautiful to look at, impeccably cast, but a bit of a missed opportunity in terms of long-term franchise potential.
Actions to take if you want more "Peculiar" content
If the movie left you wanting more, don't just wait for a sequel that isn't coming. Here is how to actually dive deeper into this world:
- Read the books (in order): The trilogy consists of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Hollow City, and Library of Souls. Ransom Riggs later added a second trilogy starting with A Map of Days. The books use real found photography that is much creepier than the movie.
- Watch the "Tales of the Peculiar": This is a companion book of fairy tales within the universe. It’s stylized and fills in the lore of the Ymbrynes and the history of the loops.
- Check out the Graphic Novels: If you prefer a visual medium but want the book-accurate plot (and powers), the graphic novel adaptations by Cassandra Jean are excellent.
- Follow the cast’s newer work: To see how much they've grown, watch Fallout (Prime Video) for Ella Purnell or Sex Education (Netflix) for Asa Butterfield.
The movie serves as a gorgeous gateway, but the true "peculiarity" of the world is much darker and more expansive than what we saw on screen in 2016.