Director Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) has been tapped to helm the Sony Pictures production of Neverland, a film that features Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street). There is some confusion as to the plot of Neverland, which was formerly known as Pan; this is where the trouble started. When last we reported on this particular Peter Pan-related project, there was another movie titled Pan that was also in production. That film, directed by animation sequence and video game director Ben Hibon (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), stars Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight) as Captain Hook, AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia) as Wendy and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) as Smee. Scripted by Benjamin Magid, this twist on the classic J.M. Barrie tale pits a heroic Captain Hook in search of a child-stealing Peter Pan.

While this actually sounds like a fresh spin on an old story, it has nothing to do with the Tatum and now, O’Connor version. Plot details are in short order, but a previous report did pitch the idea that Peter Pan and Captain Hook were brothers. It’s all rather confusing. Hit the jump to sort it out. [Update: Tatum's reps have clarified that he's only production the origin take on Peter Pan, not starring].

Terence Stamp has joined Ben Hibon‘s Pan, a dark re-imagining of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.  Benjamin Magid’s script twists the tale of a flying boy into a crime thriller where Captain Hook (Aaron Eckhart) is a detective and his partner Smee (Sean Bean) are tracking down a serial killer known as “Pan”.  AnnaSophia Robb will play Wendy, “a young girl who escaped the clutches of Pan and teams with the police force to help catch him.”  Moviehole doesn’t have any details on who Stamp will play, and based on Peter Pan‘s cast of characters, I’m a little stumped on where an actor of Stamp’s age and gravitas would fit.  Of course, it’s possible he’s playing a character outside of Barrie’s novel, but in any case, Stamp is a welcome addition to any cast.  This is definitely a project to keep on your radar, not only because of the actors on board, but because Hibon was the guy responsible for the amazing animated Deathly Hallows tale from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

There are various Peter Pan re-imaginings scooting their way through development.  There’s the terrible-sounding prequel Pan that stars Channing Tatum and sets Peter and Captain Hook as brothers.  Disney is considering the a promising adaptation of Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson’s Peter and the Starcatchers, which has Peter and the Lost Boys as the pirates.  And then there’s my favorite among the adaptations—an action-thriller, also titled Pan, directed by Ben Hibon.  If you’re not familiar with Hibon, he directed the beautiful animated sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.  Pan was originally set up as a directing vehicle for Guillermo del Toro, but Hibon came on board to helm the picture last November.  The story is a dark re-imagining of J.M. Barrie’s tale which has Captain Hook as a haunted former police detective in pursuit of a childlike kidnapper.

Now the first cast members have been revealed and it’s an exciting line-up: Aaron Eckhart, Sean Bean, and AnnaSophia Robb.  Hit the jump for more details on their characters.

Every piece of classic literature is getting a reboot these days and it was foolish to think Peter Pan would buck the trend.  Last week, a pitch went out for a package called “Peter Pan Begins” with Channing Tatum attached to star, screenwriter Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) writing the script, and Joe Roth (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) producing.  Because audiences must know Peter Pan’s origin story, the pitch ignited a bidding war and Heat Vision reports that Sony Pictures came out on top to the tune of about $1 million.

We still don’t know much about the pitch, which is now titled “Pan” (so there goes the title for my Spanish-language drama about satyrs who bake bread), but HV says that the prequel envisions Peter Pan and Captain Hook as brothers.  Let me guess: Hook is jealous that Peter got to stay a kid.  Wonderful.

If you saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 this weekend, then you most likely marveled at the gorgeous animated sequence where Hermoine tells the tale of “The Deathly Hallows”.  As Curt said in our podcast, if the Academy nominated short animated films within a feature film, it would be a lock for an nomination.  Variety is now reporting that the director of that sequence, Ben Hibon, is attached to direct the fantasy action thriller Pan.  Based on a script by Ben Magid and originally set up as a directing vehicle for Guillermo del Toro, “The film puts a dark spin on J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan with Captain Hook as a haunted former police detective in pursuit of a childlike kidnapper.”  Casting is currently underway for a European shoot next fall.

Hibon, along with his producing partners Renee Tab and Tarik Heitmann, have also optioned Richard Harland’s steampunk novel, Worldshaker.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the book.