Alongside remakes ofThe Little Mermaid,Robin Hood, andHercules, Disney is also planning to bring Neverland into the world of live-action withPeter Pan and Wendy. Now sources claim that the studio is locking down Jude Law as Captain Hook, originally voiced by the iconic Hans Conried in the 1953 animated classic.
ThePeter Panremake is set to be directed by David Lowery, whose previous credits includePete’s Dragon,A Ghost Story, andThe Old Man & The Gunstarring Robert Redford. Lowery co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks, and Jim Whitaker will be producing.Jude Lawas Captain Hook is the first casting that has been announced, though Disney hasn’t officially confirmed he’s signed just yet.
Sources have also said that the release is expected to be theatrical and will not go straight to theDisney+ streamingroute, unlike some of the recent live-action remakes.
This will of course be far from the first time that Peter Pan’s arch enemyCaptain Hookhas been portrayed in live-action, and should the deal close with Law, he will be stepping into the pirate boots and hooked-hands of Dustin Hoffman, Jason Isaacs, and, most recently, Garret Hedlund, who played a young version of the villainous pirate in 2015’sPan, which was, well, panned by critics.
TheDisney classic,Peter Pan, was released way back in 1953, and remains the most successful adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s novel. The story ofPeter Panfollows Peter and his friend Tinker Bell, a fairy, who whisk away siblings Wendy, John and Michael to the island of Never Land, where Captain Hook seeks vengeance against Peter for cutting off his hand. While details regarding the live-action remake are scarce at present, the title,Peter Pan & Wendyseems to suggest that Wendy’s role will be expanded.
There have been several attempts at bringing the classic tale into live-action, with the story ofPeter Panhaving been told multiple times over the years. Many other studios have made their own versions for both the big and small screens, with a lot of them trying to approach the material from a different perspective. Steven Spielberg’sHook, which starred the late, great Robin Williams as Peter Pan, imagined a world where the boy who never grew up did exactly that. Meanwhile, Joe Wright’sPanattempted an origin story for the character. Sadly, both efforts disappointed both critically and financially.
Law, a two-time Oscar nominee for his performances inCold MountainandThe Talented Mr. Ripley, recently starred in the Sundance flickThe Nest, in which he stars opposite Carrie Coon, and the Blake Lively-led thrillerThe Rhythm Section. Law has been praised for his performance in HBO’sThe New Pope, in which he stars opposite John Malkovich, and will be reprising his role of Albus Dumbledore in the nextFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Theminstallment.
Disney have so far found huge success with their live-action remakes, with the likes ofThe Lion KingandAladdinbringing in billions for the studio, with a sequel and spin-off for the latter already on the cards. This news comes to us courtesy ofVariety.
