Return to Never Land

Produced by
Christopher Chase
Dan Rounds
Michelle Pappalardo-Robinson
Lizabeth Velcaso
 Written by
Carter Crocker (additional material)
(based on J.M. Barrie's characters and Walt Disney's 1953 film)
 Starring
Harriet Owen
Kath Soucie
Corey Burton
Jeff Burnett
 Music by
 Editors
 Cinematography
 Studios
Walt Disney Television Animation (Australia) Pty. Limited
Walt Disney Television Animation Canada
 Distributors
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
 Release date (s)
 Language
 Preceded by
 Followed by

***Return to Never Land*** (or ***Peter Pan in Disney's Return to Never Land***) is a 2002 animation film sequel to the 1953 film produced by the DisneyToon studio in Sydney, Australia and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The original "*Return to Never Land*" VHS and DVD was released on August 20, 2002. It included digitally animated sequences and an all-new voice cast. Return to Never Land was re-released on a Pixie-Powered Edition DVD on November 27, 2007.

## Plot

The story begins in World War II London, during the Luftwaffe's bombing campaign in preparation for Operation: Sea Lion. Peter Pan's former playmate Wendy Darling has grown up and married, and has two children of her own: an 12-year-old daughter Jane, and a 4-year-old son Danny. Her husband Edward is sent to fight in the European Theatre of the war, leaving her to raise the children by herself. She tries to keep their spirits up with stories of Peter Pan, but Jane has become cynical under the pressures of the war, belittling the stories her mother tells and ridiculing her brother's faith in them.

Captain Hook, still seeking revenge against Peter Pan, sails through the skies on his pixie-dust-enchanted pirate ship, finds Jane sleeping by the window, and – mistaking her for Wendy – abducts her to use as bait for Peter. However, his ship triggers an alarm and is mistaken for a Luftwaffe bomber and Hook has to escape for his life as the Germans attack London and Royal Air Force Spitfire planes move on the ship. Back in Never Land, he drops the girl into the waiting tentacles of "the beast", a giant octopus, expecting Peter to also be devoured by it as he dives after "Wendy" to save her. However, Peter rescues Jane and Hook is eaten instead. Though Hook manages to escape, the octopus enjoys his taste (much like the crocodile he had finally managed to lose long before) and begins hunting him down.

Peter rescues Jane, and upon finding she is Wendy's daughter, assumes she would like to follow in her mother's footsteps. He takes her to his home to be mother to the Lost Boys, but Jane refuses, more interested in getting back home. They try to make her have fun and to teach her to fly, but she fails because she doesn't believe. She blurts out that she doesn't even believe in fairies, which leaves Tinker Bell slowly dying.

Jane leaves them, and is approached by Hook, who tricks her with a deal. He promises to take her home and lies that he won't harm Peter, and she agrees to help him find his treasure. He gives Jane a whistle to signal him when she locates it. She returns to the Lost Boys to play a game of "treasure hunt", and they try to win her into becoming one of them, so she'll believe in fairies and restore Tinker Bell's health. When Jane finds the treasure and Peter and the Lost Boys make her the very first Lost Girl, she throws Hook's whistle away (before she becomes a Lost Girl), but Tootles finds it and – not realizing what it is for – blows it. Hook and crew arrive, and capture Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, but let Jane go as thanks for "helping" them. Peter hears this and says that now because she still doesn't believe in fairies, Tink's light would go out.

Back at the Lost Boys' home, Jane gets to Tinker Bell too late, but with her new-found belief, she revives her. They hurry to the *Jolly Roger*, where they find Peter on the plank. Jane saves him, and with the help of "faith, trust, and pixie dust" learns to fly. Hook grabs Jane, but Peter saves her, also sinking the ship. Hook and the pirates exit via a rowboat, pursued by the giant octopus who, due to a major sight problem, believes them to be different kinds of fish.

Now that she can fly, Jane is able to return home to Wendy and Danny; Peter and Tinker Bell escort her. Peter and Wendy are briefly reunited, and he is displeased that she's grown up, but she assures him that she hasn't really changed; Tinkerbell, having gotten over her jealousy of Wendy, covers her in pixie dust, allowing her to fly one last time; Wendy's proven her point to Peter, and he, slightly sad at losing a friend, flies off, Wendy, Jane, Danny and Nana II watching. Edward returns from the army, Hitler's plans to invade Britain were thwarted by the Royal Air Force (coupled with massive losses in Stalingrad), the family is reunited, and the family watches as Peter Pan and Tinker Bell quietly fly home.

## Voice Cast

Because nearly five decades had passed since the original Disney film, a new cast of voice actors was used for this sequel. Kathryn Beaumont, who provided the voice of Wendy in the original, recorded all of the now-adult character's dialogue for *Return to Never Land*, but Disney later had Kath Soucie completely re-record the role.

* Harriet Owen as Jane (Singing voice provided by Jonatha Brooke) and Young Wendy Darling
* Blayne Weaver as Peter Pan
* Corey Burton as Captain Hook
* Jeff Bennett as Mr. Smee and Pirate Crew
* Kath Soucie as Wendy Darling
* Andrew McDonough as Danny
* Roger Rees as Edward
* Spencer Breslin as Cubby
* Bradley Pierce as Nibs
* Quinn Beswick as Slightly
* Aaron Spann as Twins
* Frank Welker as Nana II and Octopus
* Dan Castellaneta, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Clive Revill, and Wally Wingert as the additional voices

## Release

*Return to Never Land* was released on VHS and DVD August 20, 2002, and it took in only lukewarm sales. This version of the film went out of print on January 31, 2003. On November 27, 2007, *Return to Never Land* was released in a "Pixie-Powered Edition"; the movie was also released in a Peter Pan Trilogy, along with the *Peter Pan* Platinum Edition, and *Tinker Bell*, on December 18, 2008. The Pixie-Powered Edition returned to the Disney Vault along with *Peter Pan* on January 31, 2009. It was re-released on Disney Blu-ray August 20, 2013.

## Gallery

*Return to Never Land* Video and DVD poster