With fantasies based on classic children’s tales all the rage in Hollywood at the moment, it’s unsurprising there are plans to bring Peter Pan to the big screen. Actually, at the moment there are numerous plans, not to mention Sky Movies summer special, Neverland. However one of the movies is now pulling ahead, by announcing some of its cast, although it’s not the sort of Peter Pan you might expect.
According to ScreenDaily, Aaron Eckhart, Sean Bean and AnnaSophia Robb have joined the cast of Pan, which puts a dark twist on the classic Peter Pan tale by J.M. Barrie. Ben Hibon is directing from a screenplay by Benjamin Magid, which is based off characters from the J.M. Barrie Peter Pan story. Apparently the film was originally set up at New Line, for Guillermo Del Toro to direct, but is now being produced independently via Essential Films, who will be looking for funding in Cannes.
Aaron Eckhart and AnnaSophia Robb will portray Hook and Wendy, although they are not the same characters from the storybook. Hook is actually a modern-day detective, tormented by a kidnapper. Wendy is the lone survivor of this kidnapper, who leaves an asylum to help Hook track him down. Sean Bean has also joined the cast as Smee, the head detective who is Hook’s only friend on the police force. Production is scheduled for an October start in Eastern Europe.
This project shouldn’t be confused with Sony’s Peter Pan Begins, which stars Channing Tatum as the title character and will involve a fresh origin story.