Netflix's No. 1 Movie Is a 'Harry Potter' Star's Epic New Flick
The number 1 movie on Netflix this weekend is likely catching the eye of some Harry Potter fans, with star Tom Felton front and center on the thumbnail. The movie is called The Forgotten Battle, a historical drama where Felton plays a British soldier fighting in World War II. It is a brutal but moving depiction of life on the front lines.
The Forgotten Battle is a Dutch film written by Paula van der Oest and directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. It is in the Dutch, English and German languages, with Felton mainly speaking English for his part. To Americans and much of the global audience, Felton will be one of the most recognizable stars in the movie, but the real main characters are played by Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters and Susan Radder.
The movie follows three main characters to give different perspectives - Blom plays a Dutch Axis soldier named Marinus van Staveren, Flatters plays a British Allied pilot named William Sinclair and Radder plays a resistance woman from Zeeland named Teuntje Visser. All are involved in real historical actions from World War II in the autumn of 1944, including the Battle of Walcheren Causeway and the Battle of Scheldt.
The movie was initially released in December of 2020, though the theatrical release was disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix co-produced the movie with the intention of streaming it, and it finally hit the platform on Friday, Oct. 15. So far, it seems to be a hit.
Felton's face is undoubtedly helping to draw the audience in, as he is one of the most recognizable stars from the Harry Potter franchise. He played Draco Malfoy, and although he was a villain, he was an undeniable fan favorite. Behind the scenes, Felton was famously close with his co-stars, and remains friendly with them today.
Of all the main cast members, Felton has possibly stayed the closest to the genre fiction world. He has had roles in The Flash, Origin and A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, among others. Still, The Forgotten Battle proves that Felton has the acting chops to pursue any genre he wants.
The movie stands at number 5 on the Netflix Top 10 overall, with the four ahead of it being TV shows. Other high-ranking movies this weekend include Going in Style, Titanic and Jumanji, among others. The Forgotten Battle is streaming now on Netflix in the U.S.