If you watched the trailer for the highly anticipated Disney+ movie Peter Pan & Wendy, you probably noticed that there’s a different energy to it. Even though the story is a wondrous adventure, there’s a darker aspect that will question the nature of the magical title character’s motivations. This is what movie director and co-screenwriter David Lowery (A Ghost Story) revealed in an interview with TotalFilm Magazine just a month ahead of the movie’s premiere.
In the interview, Lowery revealed that his and Toby Halbrooks’ (Pete’s Dragon) script goes a different way from the classic 1953 animated movie Peter Pan. The director stated that he wanted to do “something different” with the character and explore his “incredibly unlikeable” aspects. This will be mostly done through the eyes of Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), who plays Pan’s arch-enemy Hook. The director broke down his approach to the villain and explained why he chose Law to play him:
"We really wanted to understand why Hook hates Peter Pan so much. Where does that anger come from? We did our best to build out a story for the two characters, and a sense of history, and a sense of mythology. [...] You want someone who can lean into the moustache-twirling when it's appropriate but then also break your heart when you need that to happen as well. I can't think of anyone better to straddle those two things in the same way that he straddles the crocodile's jaw."
Peter Pan Never Grows Up, But His Stories Mature
Peter Pan & Wendy revisits a classic Disney story that has been told in several kids’ movies, cartoons, and plays. Created by Scottish author J.M. Barrie, the story centers around a boy who refuses to grow up and takes other kids who feel the same to the magical land of Neverland. As the title suggests, this iteration of the story will have a bigger focus on Wendy (Ever Anderson), who will have her own adventures while searching for her brothers in Neverland.
The cast also features Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering as John Darling, and Jacobi Jupe as Michael Darling. Rounding up the main cast are Jim Gaffigan, Alan Tudyk, and Molly Parker.
Disney+ premieres Peter Pan & Wendy on April 28. You can watch the trailer below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
“Peter Pan & Wendy” introduces Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever.