Without a doubt, the story of Peter Pan is a time-honored classic, but director Joe Wright (Atonement) is crafting an adventure that sounds much different than the stories by J.M. Barrie, and far removed from the beloved Disney animated film. Pan, coming next summer, tells the story of a group of World War II-era orphans, abducted from their homes and spirited away to Neverland by the notorious pirate: Blackbeard Hugh Jackman).
Yes, that’s right, Blackbeard – not Captain Hook, although a younger incarnation of Peter Pan’s nemesis appears in the film, this time as an ally of Peter and the rest of the Lost Boys. Garrett Hedlund has been cast in the role, although since he’s not a captain and isn’t missing a hand, it’ll be curious to see if the character gets a name change.
In the meantime, it’ll be Blackbeard that will menace Peter Pan (Levi Miller), and the first photos from Joe Wright’s Pan have made their way online via Entertainment Weekly. Check them out below.
Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard Levi Miller as Peter, and Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard
I’m a huge fan of Jackman, but I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. Blackbeard looks less like a fearsome seafarer and more like the sort of swashbuckler that Errol Flynn would have portrayed. Hopefully some footage from the film pops up before too long and we get a sense of the overall tone, because right now it’s hard to look at Jackman and immediately think “villain.”
Peter, as well, doesn’t look quite like I imagined, especially in the poster below. With his mouth set in a firm line and his stoic expression, he doesn’t strike me as the proverbial boy who never wanted to grow up. See for yourself.
Again, it’s hard to pass judgment just based on the images alone. We won’t really know what Pan will feel like until we’ve seen a trailer, but we shouldn’t have to wait much longer for that. Theaters will be packed during the holiday season, which sounds like the perfect opportunity for Warner Bros. to give audiences a taste of this major summer tentpole. Of course, we’ll bring you that trailer as soon as it becomes available.
Pan opens on July 17, 2015.
hugh jackman joe wright levi miller pan warner bros