Disney+ has announced that production on Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming and newest live-action film adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic novel Peter Pan & Wendy has finally commenced in Vancouver. The long-in development feature was originally set for a theatrical release but was officially moved to Disney+ last December along with Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio.
“Peter Pan has long been one of my favorite stories, partially because I’ve always resisted growing up, but also because of the heart, adventure and imagination that makes J.M. Barrie’s original tale so evergreen,” director David Lowery said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to redefine his iconic characters for a new generation – and even more excited that I get to do so with such an exceptional cast and crew.”
Set to make its debut in 2022, the live-action film will be led by newcomers Alexander Molony, and Ever Anderson, who is the daughter of action star Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil). Before starring in her first ever titular project, Anderson will next be seen in Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated Black Widow as the younger version of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff.
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Based on J. M. Barrie’s 1911 novel “Peter and Wendy” and inspired by the 1953 animated classic, Peter Pan & Wendy is the timeless tale of a young girl who, defying her parents’ wishes to attend boarding school, travels with her two younger brothers to the magical Neverland. There, she meets a boy who refuses to grow up, a tiny fairy and an evil pirate captain, and they soon find themselves on a thrilling and dangerous adventure far, far away from their family and the comforts of home.
Click here to purchase Disney’s 1953 classic adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s tale!
Joining Molony and Anderson are Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinkerbell, Molly Parker (House of Card) as Mrs. Darling, Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Mr. Darling, and Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show) as Smee along with newcomers Joshua Pickering as John; Jacobi Jupe as Michael and Alyssa Wapanatâhk as Tiger Lily.
J.M. Barrie’s iconic tale has been adapted into a live-action film a few times including Steven Spielberg’s 1991 live-action film which starred Robin Williams and Julia Roberts; and 2003’s coming-of-age film starring Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood which was probably the most recognized live-action adaptation among many young people; and the most recent one, Joe Wright’s 2016 Pan starring Hugh Jackman. However, Disney’s 1953 animated film Peter Pan has remained the most popular adaptation of the tale.
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Peter Pan & Wendy will be directed by David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon, The Green Knight) with Toby Halbrooks having co-written the adaptation with Lowery.
Disney proved the success of their efforts of adapting many of their classic animated films into live-action in 2019 with Jon Favreau’s The Lion King and Guy Richie’s Aladdin both earning a gross of over $1 billion.
