Another animated Disney classic is getting the live-action remake treatment and this latest adventure seems genuinely worth getting excited about.
“Peter Pan & Wendy,” which will debut on Disney+ on April 28, hails from co-writer/director David Lowery, the filmmaker behind “The Green Knight” and “The Old Man and the Gun,” and looks to interpolate both the 1953 Disney animated classic and the original J.M. Barrie source material. Watch the trailer above.
Originally announced in 2016, around the time Lowery was releasing his “Pete’s Dragon” remake theatrically, “Peter Pan & Wendy” is arguably the most exciting live-action adaptation of a Disney animated project in some time. The impressive visual sweep presented in the trailer (actual locations!) combined with the nifty modernization of some of the characters and settings, and the very committed cast (led by Jude Law as a snarling Captain Hook) make it seem like “Peter Pan & Wendy” will be a cut above, especially after the deeply disappointing, Robert Zemeckis-directed “Pinocchio” (released on Disney+ last fall).
“In making ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ we set out to craft a film that honors both the original J.M. Barrie text and Walt Disney’s animated adaptation; we wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure,” Lowery said in an official statement. “Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I’m excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride, and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective.”
Along with Law, the cast of “Peter Pan & Wendy” includes newcomer Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Ever Anderson as Wendy, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, Jim Gaffigan as Smee, Alan Tudyk as George Darling and Molly Parker as Mary Darling. And unlike some recent adaptations (“Pan,” we’re looking at you), an Indigenous actress (Alyssa Wapanatâhk) is performing as Tiger Lily (that’s her on horseback in the trailer).
“Peter Pan & Wendy” is part of a growing slate of live-action Disney movies adapted from animated classics that also includes “The Little Mermaid” (in theaters May 26, 2023), “Snow White” (March 24, 2024), “Mufasa: The Lion King” (July 5, 2024) and undated live-action versions of “Hercules” (from Guy Ritchie), “Lilo & Stitch” (from “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp), along with sequels to “Aladdin” and “Cruella.”
“Peter Pan & Wendy” debuts on Disney+ on April 28.
