Peter Pan, the beloved character created by J.M. Barrie, has captivated audiences for over a century with his whimsical adventures and refusal to grow up. Peter Pan is one of the most iconic Disney characters of all time. His story has been adapted countless times across various mediums, including theater, film, and literature, solidifying his status as a cultural icon.
Now, a whole new generation will get to experience this Disney classic in 2023 as the live-action adaption ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is set to be released this year. The official trailer was released on February 28 and provides fans with a glimpse at Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook in live-action form.
This isn’t the first Disney classic to be turned into a live-action film. Disney introduced the audience to The Beauty And The Beast and The Lion King with new live-action adaptations.
‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ will feature Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson as Peter Pan and Wendy Darling respectively. Joshua Pickering and Jacobi Jupe will portray John and Michael Darling respectively.
They will be joined by Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell and Alyssa Wapanatâhk who will play the Native American Princess Tiger Lily. Captain Hook who is one of Disney’s most iconic villains will be played by veteran actor Jude Law while Jim Gaffigan will play his klutzy sidekick Smee. The role of Captain Hook was a heavily discussed topic in Hollywood with several actors being offered the part during development.
The film was directed by David Lowery who also worked on the screenplay with Toby Halbrooks. Deadline first announced the film in April 2016. However, the filming was scheduled to being in April 2020 but was delayed due to Covid-19 before it finally began on March 16, 2021, according to Comic Book Resource.
Disney released the teaser for the movie in December 2020 which told fans the movie will be available on Disney+.
“Peter Pan & Wendy will be flying to #DisneyPlus . David Lowery directs an amazing cast including @YaraShahidi in the role of Tinker Bell and Jude Law as Captain Hook,” Disney tweeted along with the teaser.
The live-action movie is based on the 1953 movie which follows Wendy and her brothers as they meet Peter Pan on a night when their parents announced that it would be Wendy’s last night in the nursery as she “needed to grow up.”
Peter arrived in the middle of the night and helped them fly away to Neverland where they meet the Lost Boys, Native Americans, mermaids, and pirates. The psirates capture the Darlings and the Lost Boys and Peter has to save the day. The kids eventually take over the ship and fly back to London where Mr. Darling tells Wendy that she can stay in the nursery for some time longer.
Although the original movie is a classic, the portrayal of Native Americans has been problematic which Disney has taken into account. Alyssa Wapanatâhk is an indigenous actress playing the part of a Native American and Disney has seemingly given Tiger Lily a bigger part than the original movie. We will have to wait and see how the audience responds to the live-action version of ‘Peter Pan & Wendy. Until then, stay tuned to Thirsty For News.
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