Peter Pan & Wendy

Peter Pan & Wendy is a 2023 American fantasy adventure film directed by David Lowery from a screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker served as producer on the Walt Disney Pictures production, which is a live-action remake of Walt Disney's 1953 animated feature film Peter Pan, in turn based on the 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (also known as Peter and Wendy) by J. M. Barrie. The film stars Alexander Molony (in his film debut) and Ever Anderson in the title roles. Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, and Jim Gaffigan also appear in supporting roles. The story follows Peter Pan and Wendy, who go to the magical world of Neverland with Wendy's brothers and Peter's best friend Tinker Bell. Along the way, Wendy embarks on the adventure that will change her life and encounters Peter's archenemy Captain Hook.
Development on a live-action Peter Pan film began on April 13, 2016, with Lowery directing. Lowery was announced as writing the film with Halbrooks, while the production team expanded the next four years due to work in the remake's script. The film's title was announced on January 7, 2020. Production was expected to begin in April 2020 and wrap in August that year but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming ultimately began in March 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Shooting also occurred on the Bonavista Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, in August 2021, and in the Faroe Islands.
Peter Pan & Wendy premiered on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.
Plot
In Edwardian London, Wendy Darling spends her last night at home with her parents and her two younger brothers, John and Michael, before leaving for boarding school the next day. She is unhappy with her departure and feels she does not want to grow up. Having heard Wendy's wish, Peter Pan arrives to take her to Neverland where she will never have to grow up. With the help of his companion, fairy Tinker Bell, Wendy, John, and Michael fly to Neverland.
Upon arriving, they are attacked by a ship of pirates, led by Captain Hook, who wants revenge on Peter for cutting off his right hand and throwing it to a crocodile. Wendy becomes separated from Peter and her brothers and meets Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys. She witnesses the pirates capturing John and Michael to drown them at Skull Rock. Peter fights the Captain, while Wendy, Tiger Lily, and the Lost Boys save John and Michael. Hook and the pirates are chased away by the crocodile.
Wendy learns from Peter that Captain Hook was once his best friend known as James, until he left Neverland and grew up to be a pirate. Hook's crew captures the Lost Boys and the Darling children, while the Captain attacks Peter, who seemingly falls to his death. Hook reveals to Wendy that the reason he left Neverland was because he missed his mother and wanted to find her. Eventually he got lost at sea and was rescued by his first mate, Mr. Smee, and the pirates, who raised him. When he returned to Neverland, Peter could not accept how much he had changed, and the two became enemies.
While Tiger Lily finds Peter and nurses him back to health, Hook forces Wendy to walk the plank, but she flies away with Tinker Bell's pixie dust and the happy thought of wanting to grow up. Tinker Bell helps the Lost Boys break free and battle the pirates. Peter arrives to confront Hook, and after a long duel, finally apologizes to him for being a bad friend, but Hook doesn’t want their rivalry to end and tells Peter that he doesn’t get to apologize. When Wendy turns the ship on its back, causing the pirates to fall off, Peter attempts to save Hook, encouraging him to fly, but without happy thoughts, he falls into the sea while losing his hook. Afterward, the Lost Boys decide they all want a real home, so they fly back to London on the ship with the Darlings.
Arriving home, Wendy introduces the Lost Boys to her parents. Peter reveals the Darlings' house was his old home until one day he ran away. Wendy suggests he stay, but Peter feels he isn't ready to grow up. He bids farewell to Wendy and the Lost Boys, and returns to Neverland with Tinker Bell.
Back in Neverland, Hook and Smee are revealed to have survived the fall. Hook sees Peter returning on the ship and smiles happily.
Cast
Production
Development and pre-production
In April 2016, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a live-action adaptation of the 1953 animated film Peter Pan. David Lowery signed on as director, with a script he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. The pair previously worked together on the 2016 remake of Disney's Pete's Dragon. Jim Whitaker served as producer on the project.
In February 2018, Whitaker stated that the script was entering early stages of development. He further explained that the film will be grounded in realism, though it will also be "a big, rollicking adventure, too." By October of the same year, the fourth draft of the script had been completed with a fifth draft underway. Lowery stated that "the number-one priority is getting the script right". The filmmaker elaborated that the project is personal to him, as he is a fan to the original, acknowledging that he had been "agonizing over every little detail". He confirmed that the modern-day adaptation would have to change elements to avoid the racial stereotypes present in the original film.
In December 2019, Lowery stated that he and Halbrooks had written an additional "draft-and-a-half" at that point, adding that it would have to have "a few more drafts to go" before it is ready to be filmed. He described working on the film as "challenging" due to both his personal love for the original film and its popularity among fans. He also feels that he had to justify the film's existence due to other live-action Peter Pan films having been developed, while also doing "justice to the source material". The filmmaker stated that the outlook that he and the studio has, is: "[i]f it has to be done, it has to be done right". Comparing his work on Peter Pan to Pete's Dragon, the filmmaker stated that the latter was less stressful seeing as the original had been an "under-the-radar Disney title" with little following, which allowed him more creative freedom. By 2020, the film was officially titled Peter Pan & Wendy. Joe Roth joined the film's production team as an additional producer.
Casting
Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson were reported to have been cast as Peter Pan and Wendy Darling, respectively, in March 2020. By July of the same year, Jude Law had entered early negotiations to play Captain James Hook. Law would be confirmed in September, with Yara Shahidi cast to play Tinker Bell. In October 2020, Alyssa Wapanatâhk was confirmed to play Tiger Lily. In January 2021, Jim Gaffigan joined the cast as Mr. Smee. On March 16, 2021, Alan Tudyk, Molly Parker, Joshua Pickering, and Jacobi Jupe were announced to play Mr. Darling, Mrs. Darling, John Darling, and Michael Darling, respectively, as principal photography officially began.
Filming
Production for Peter Pan & Wendy took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was originally set to begin on April 17, 2020, and wrap in August 2020 but filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming began on March 16, 2021. Additional filming took place on the Bonavista Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, in August 2021. Scenes were also filmed in the Faroe Islands. Reshoots took place in Vancouver, from February 2 to 8, 2022.
Visual effects
The visual effects were handled by Framestore and DNEG.
Release
The film was originally set to be released on Disney's streaming service, Disney+, but was later scheduled to be released theatrically. In December 2020, the film was officially announced to be released as a Disney+ exclusive again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.
Reception
Audience viewership
According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, Peter Pan & Wendy was the 7th-most-streamed program across all platforms during the week of April 27, 2023. and the 10th during the week of 4 May 2023. According to Whip Media's TV Time, Peter Pan & Wendy was the 2nd-most-streamed film across all platforms in the United States during the week of April 30, 2023, and the 4th during the week of May 5, 2023. According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, Peter Pan & Wendy was 9th-most-streamed film across all platforms in the United States during the week of May 7, 2023.
Critical response
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com, gave the film two and a half stars out of four, writing, "Peter Pan & Wendy" ultimately settles for "everybody misses their mother," a sentiment that's true for most people, but is a slim reed to hang such a big film on, especially one with other problems." Benjamin Lee of The Guardian, gave the film three stars out of five, saying "[Jude Law's] full-throated performance as Captain Hook is the most distinctive thing in a passable but unnecessary Disney live-action remake." Ben Travis of Empire gave the film three stars out of five and wrote, "David Lowery’s second Disney reimagining is artfully constructed and full of interesting ideas. But for a film about the energy and imagination of youth, it often feels trapped in its own head."
Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the film five stars out of five and said, "David Lowery's take on JM Barrie's classic is top-to-bottom wonderful – and the perfect antidote to the recent, dire Super Mario Bros. film." Peter Debruge of Variety Magazine gave the film a negative review, writing, "Even if he could grow up, J.M. Barrie's age-defying scamp must feel like he's trapped in a time loop, so often has he been revived. This straight-to-streaming take ranks among the least imaginative." Tara Bennett of IGN gave the film a 6 out of 10 and wrote, "A handsome remake that forgot to have fun."
Accolades
The film won Best Motion Poster at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.
See also
List of works based on Peter Pan
List of Disney live-action adaptations and remakes of Disney animated films
Peter Pan & Wendy (soundtrack)
References
External links
Peter Pan & Wendy at Disney+
2023 adventure films
2023 fantasy films
2023 films
2020s American films
2020s English-language films
2020s fantasy adventure films
American fantasy adventure films
Disney+ original films
English-language fantasy adventure films
Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films about child abduction
Films about children
Films about fairies and sprites
Films about Native Americans
Films about crocodilians
Films based on adaptations
Films directed by David Lowery
Films produced by Joe Roth
Films not released in theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films scored by Daniel Hart
Films set in London
Films shot in Newfoundland and Labrador
Films shot in Vancouver
Live-action films based on Disney's animated films
Peter Pan (franchise)
Peter Pan films
Walt Disney Pictures films