In London, a young girl and her brothers long to escape the world of grown-ups, and are brought to a magical land by a boy who has the ability to fly, where they are threatened by a bitter pirate bent on revenge.
Despite the popularity of the story (based on the play by Scottish writer J.M. Barrie), this 2003 film is the first live adaptation made for theatrical release, previous versions either animated or made for television. Australian director P.J. Hogan made his international breakthrough with the 1994 independent comedy Muriel's Wedding, followed by box office hit My Best Friend's Wedding.
Hogan's approach to the casting both embraced and broke from tradition. In keeping with the standard practice for the stage production, the same actor was cast in the roles of Captain Hook and Wendy's father Mr. Darling (Jason Isaacs of Harry Potter fame). However, Hogan made the bold move of casting a male in the Peter Pan role (normally played by a woman), specifically the young unknown American actor Jeremy Sumpter. Another newcomer, Rachel Hurd-Wood, was picked from an extensive casting search to play Wendy. The cast is rounded out with British actresses Olivia Williams (Rushmore) and Lynn Redgrave (Gods And Monsters), as well as French actress Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool).
Barrie had left the rights to Peter Pan with England's largest children's hospital, who approved the screenplay and granted permission to the production. The film was shot primarily in studios in Queensland, Australia. The cast underwent months of swordfighting training, as well as practice with the support harnesses that would enable the characters to fly. The photography was done by Donald McAlpine (Moulin Rouge!, with a musical score contributed by James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Dark Knight.
Upon release, the film received mostly positive reviews, with some small controversy regarding the early stages of sexual interest between Peter Pan and Wendy. Poor marketing by the studio left the film failing to make $50 million at the American box office. It earned an additional $70+ million overseas.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs.
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