Peter Pan & Wendy

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Peter Pan & Wendy
Promotional release poster
Directed byDavid Lowery
Screenplay by
  • David Lowery
  • Toby Halbrooks
Based on
Produced by
  • Jim Whitaker
Starring
CinematographyBojan Bazelli
Edited byLisa Zeno Churgin
Music byDaniel Hart
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+
Release date
  • April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28)
Running time
109 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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 and Whitaker Entertainment 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 as well as the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.[2]

Peter Pan & Wendy premiered on Disney+ on April 28, 2023. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot[edit]

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, a free-spirited boy named 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 Hook, while Wendy, Tiger Lily, and the Lost Boys save John and Michael. Hook and the pirates are chased away by the crocodile. Peter is proud of his victory, but is slapped and scolded by Wendy for his recklessness, and the Lost Boys tell her that he has a complicated history with Hook.

Retreating to Peter's hideout, Wendy sings a lullaby to the Lost Boys, which accidentally reveals their location to the pirates. Wendy learns from Peter that Hook was once "the very first Lost Boy" and his best friend James, until he left Neverland and grew up to be a pirate. Hook's crew captures the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell and the Darling children, while Hook ambushes Peter, who seemingly falls to his death. Instead of feeling joy, however, Hook feels empty and unsatisfied. He 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 arch-enemies.

While Tiger Lily finds and nurses Peter 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 flies the ship into the air with pixie dust, helping 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 does not want their rivalry to end. When Wendy turns the ship on its back, causing the pirates to fall down into the sea, 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 after an argument with his mother, who told him to grow up, and never came back. Wendy suggests he stay, but Peter feels he is not 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. As they hang on to floating obstacles in the sea, Hook sees Peter returning on the ship and smiles civilly.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development and pre-production[edit]

The film was a passion project for its director and co-writer David Lowery.

In April 2016, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a live-action adaptation of the 1953 animated film Peter Pan.[9] 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.[9] Jim Whitaker served as producer on the project.[9]

In February 2018, Whitaker stated that the script was entering early stages of development.[10] He further explained that the film will be grounded in realism, though it will also be "a big, rollicking adventure, too."[10] 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".[11] 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".[11] He confirmed that the modern-day adaptation would have to change elements to avoid the racial stereotypes present in the original film.[11]

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.[12] He described working on the film as "challenging" due to both his personal love for the original film and its popularity among fans.[12] 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".[12] 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".[12] 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.[12] By 2020, the film was officially titled Peter Pan & Wendy.[13] Joe Roth joined the film's production team as an additional producer.[6]

Casting[edit]

Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson were reported to have been cast as Peter Pan and Wendy Darling, respectively, in March 2020.[5] By July of the same year, Jude Law had entered early negotiations to play Captain James Hook.[14] Law would be confirmed in September, with Yara Shahidi cast to play Tinker Bell.[15][16] In October 2020, Alyssa Wapanatâhk was confirmed to play Tiger Lily.[17] In January 2021, Jim Gaffigan joined the cast as Mr. Smee.[18] 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.[19]

Filming[edit]

Production for Peter Pan & Wendy took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.[20] 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.[21][22] Filming began on March 16, 2021.[20] Additional filming took place on the Bonavista Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, in August 2021.[23] Scenes were also filmed in the Faroe Islands. Reshoots took place in Vancouver, from February 2 to 8, 2022.[24] The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland were an additional location used for Neverland.

Visual effects[edit]

The visual effects were handled by Framestore and DNEG.[25]

Release[edit]

The film was originally set to be released on Disney's streaming service, Disney+, but was later rumoured to be released theatrically.[5] In December 2020, the film was officially announced to be released as a Disney+ exclusive again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26] The film was released on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.[27]

Reception[edit]

Audience viewership[edit]

According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, Peter Pan & Wendy was the seventh-most-streamed program across all platforms during the week of April 27, 2023.[28] and the tenth during the week of 4 May 2023.[29] According to Whip Media's TV Time, Peter Pan & Wendy was the second-most-streamed film across all platforms in the United States during the week of April 30, 2023,[30] and the fourth during the week of May 5, 2023.[31] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, Peter Pan & Wendy was ninth-most-streamed film across all platforms in the United States during the week of May 7, 2023.[32]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 149 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Peter Pan & Wendy's obligatory fidelity to the animated classic keeps it from achieving Neverland nirvana, but David Lowery's pensive direction gives this rendition some of its own magic."[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[34]

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."[35] 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."[36] 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."[37]

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."[38] Peter Debruge of Variety 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."[39] Tara Bennett of IGN gave the film a six out of ten, and wrote: "A handsome remake that forgot to have fun."[40]

Accolades[edit]

The film won Best Motion Poster at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.[41][42]

The film was nominated in the category of Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards for the Jolly Roger.[43]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Debruge, Peter (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review: The Green Knight Director David Lowery Delivers a Rote Disney Reboot". Variety. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Amazing Peter Pan & Wendy Filming Locations in Faroe Islands". Guide to Faroe Islands. March 1, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. ^ El-Mahound, Sarah (April 28, 2023). "Jude Law Reveals The Intense Reason His Hook Has Two Eye Colors In Peter Pan & Wendy". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Michaelsen, Shannen (April 30, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy's New Captain Hook Backstory Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Kroll, Justin (March 10, 2020). "Disney's Live-Action 'Peter Pan' Movie Finds Its Wendy and Peter (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Yuma, Jennifer (September 9, 2022). "'Peter Pan & Wendy' Footage Debuts at D23: 'Wendy and Peter Are Equals'". Variety. Jim Whitaker and Joe Roth serve as producers.
  7. ^ Wurtz, Gina (April 30, 2023). "Disney Makes A Brutal Change To Peter Pan's Backstory In New Movie". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  8. ^ El-Mahound, Sarah (June 22, 2021). "Jim Gaffigan Teases What To Expect From Jude Law's Captain Hook And His Smee In Disney's Upcoming Peter Pan Movie". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 13, 2016). "Disney Sets 'Pete's Dragon' Helmer David Lowery For New Live Action Peter Pan Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Booth, Kaitlyn (February 28, 2018). "An Update on the Peter Pan Remake". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Hasty, Katie (October 12, 2018). "How the director of The Old Man & the Gun is walking away from guns". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e "David Lowery: Peter Pan is challenging". December 16, 2019.
  13. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 11, 2020). "'Pinocchio' With Tom Hanks, 'Peter Pan and Wendy' to Skip Theaters for Disney Plus". Variety.
  14. ^ Kit, Borys (July 7, 2020). "Jude Law to Play Captain Hook in Disney's Live-Action 'Peter Pan & Wendy'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 25, 2020). "'Grown-ish' Star Yara Shahidi To Play Tinker Bell In Disney's Live-Action 'Peter Pan' Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  16. ^ Galuppo, Mia (September 25, 2020). "Yara Shahidi to Play Tinkerbell in Disney's Live-Action 'Peter Pan'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  17. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (October 17, 2020). "Alyssa Wapanatâhk to Play Tiger Lily in 'Peter Pan & Wendy'". TheWrap. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "Jim Gaffigan to Play Mr Smee in Disney's 'Peter Pan & Wendy' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Erao, Math (March 16, 2021). "Peter Pan & Wendy Begins Production, Adds Alan Tudyk & More to Cast". Comic Book Resources.
  20. ^ a b Drew Baumgartner (March 16, 2021). "Disney's Live-Action 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Begins Principal Photography in Vancouver". Collider.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 13, 2020). "Disney Pausing Production On Features 'Little Mermaid', 'Home Alone', 'Nightmare Alley' & More Until Coronavirus Calms Down". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  22. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron. "Disney Suspends Film Production Amid Coronavirus Concerns". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  23. ^ Peter Pan & Wendy puts N.L. on world stage, says local producer working on film CBC.ca, July 3, 2021
  24. ^ Gittins, Susan (February 2, 2022). "Disney's PETER PAN & WENDY Starts Additional Week of Photography in Vancouver". Hollywood North Buzz. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  25. ^ "Peter Pan and Wendy". DNEG. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  26. ^ Case, Justin (December 10, 2020). "Peter Pan & Wendy Teaser Announces the Live-Action Movie Which Will Debut on Disney+". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  27. ^ Reul, Katie (February 28, 2023). "'Peter Pan & Wendy' Trailer Unveils Jude Law's Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi's Tinkerbell and a Whole New Neverland". Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  28. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (May 5, 2023). "Reelgood: Amazon Freevee's 'Jury Duty' Cracks Top 10 Streaming Chart". Media Play News. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  29. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (May 12, 2023). "Reelgood: 'A Man Called Otto' Tops Weekly Streaming Following Netflix Debut". Media Play News. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Prange, Stephanie (May 2, 2023). "'Scream VI,' 'Ted Lasso' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  31. ^ Prange, Stephanie (May 9, 2023). "'Scream VI,' 'Ted Lasso' Again Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  32. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (May 9, 2023). "JustWatch: 'A Man Called Otto,' 'Silo' Top Weekly Streaming, Transactional VOD Charts Through May 7". Media Play News. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  33. ^ "Peter Pan & Wendy". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 24, 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  34. ^ "Peter Pan & Wendy". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  35. ^ Matt Zoller Seitz (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  36. ^ Benjamin Lee (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". The Guardian. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  37. ^ Ben Travis (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". Empire. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  38. ^ Robbie Collin (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  39. ^ Peter Debruge (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". Variety Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  40. ^ Tara Bennett (April 28, 2023). "Peter Pan & Wendy Review". IGN. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  41. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 30, 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards: 'Cocaine Bear', 'Only Murders In The Building' & 'Oppenheimer' Among Top Winners – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  42. ^ Prusakowski, Steven (June 30, 2023). "Winners Announced for The 2023 Golden Trailer Awards". AwardsRadar.com. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  43. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 16, 2024). "'The Creator' Leads Visual Effects Society Feature Competition With 7 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

External links[edit]

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