There was some grumbling in certain quarters of the internet that the first trailer for David Lowery’s ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ made the movie look dark and murky (and there was plenty of chatter about how Jude Law didn’t look much like himself in his full Captain Hook getup).
The new trailer for the movie appears to show that Lowery and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli didn’t just turn out all the lights for the movie, the footage showcasing some bright moments with Wendy and co. as they head out on their journey to Neverland.
With that in mind, what do you need to know about the new movie? Let’s start with…
Alexander Molony as Peter Pan in Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
What’s the story of Peter Pan?
This is one that should be fairly well known to anyone aside from possibly the youngest of the target audience, since J.M. Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’ was originally created as a play in 1904 (‘Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up’,). Barrie himself also novelized the idea, and it has been adapted many, many times in different formats.
The main source for Disney’s new version, of course, is its 1953 own animated adaptation, since ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ represents the company’s latest live-action “re-imagining”.
It’s ostensibly the story of Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson), who is sad that she has to grow up and leave childish things behind.
But one night, she and brothers John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe) encounter a fairy, Tinkerbell (Yara Shahidi). And that leads to them meeting Peter Pan (Alexander Molony), who whisks them all off to Neverland, a place where kids don’t have to grow up.
Yet while Wendy and her brothers enjoy meeting the likes of the Lost Boys and Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatâhk) and exploring the fantastical land, they also face a major confrontation with Pirate ruler Hook, who is Peter’s mortal enemy.
Hook, of course, also has another mortal enemy –– a crocodile with a clock in its belly that has already taken his hand.
Jude Law as Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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What will David Lowery bring to the new movie?
Lowery, director of movies such as ‘The Green Knight’ and ‘A Ghost Story’ might not sound like the most obvious choice for one of these Disney “re-imaginings”.
The filmmaker has form, though, since he made ‘Pete’s Dragon’ in 2016, bringing a lyrical, lushly visual style to the remake, which had the advantage of adapting one of the smaller Disney movies (though interestingly one that already blended live-action and animation).
It offers more hope that ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ could offer something special, and it’s all the more surprising that the company has opted to send it straight to Disney+ instead of a theatrical release at a time when theatrical is seeing a big upswing, particularly for family fare (see the huge success of ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ this past weekend).
‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ will, as mentioned, premiere on Disney+ on April 28th.
Ever Anderson as Wendy in Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell in Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Alyssa Wapanatâhk as Tiger Lily in Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
A scene still from Disney’s live-action ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is set to premiere on Disney+ April 28th, 2023.
