With the release of Warner Brother’s Pan last Friday, it seems like the “Peter Pan” faze may be as immortal as the eponymous trickster himself. While some adaptations chose to deviate beyond the traditional story and explore the past or future of the legendary Neverland, its roots still lie in the same classic J.M. Barrie tale: a young adolescent who never grows up decides to kidnap three innocent children and force them to play with him and his gang of ragamuffin boy orphans on an island inhabited by pirates whose sole desire is to murder him and mermaids who handle their problems by ruthlessly drowning competition. What a fun, heartwarming tale to share with your family!
With all these reinventions of the 20th century tale, it can be difficult to differentiate between each new director’s take. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most famous Peter Pan adaptations:
Pan (2015 film) – Hugh Jackman is in it! But he’s not playing Captain Hook, or some adult version of Peter Pan. He’s playing Blackbeard! You know, the real life pirate who wrecked havoc during the late 1600’s. But before you worry about the filmmakers’ logic behind placing a historical figure in a fictional universe, remember that this story is meant to be ridiculous, inaccurate, and insensitive. I mean, why else would Warner Bros cast white actress Rooney Mara to play the important role of Tiger Lily, the Native American princess?
Peter Pan Live! (2014 NBC special) – Somewhere in the distance, Christopher Walken is still holding that note…
Peter Pan (2003 film) – You might’ve missed this one, considering it came out around the same time of the last Lord of the Rings movie. But if you were lucky enough to wander into the wrong theatre and catch this film, perhaps you remember a hot Peter Pan, the Coldplay song from the trailer, and a shirtless Lucius Malfoy Jason Issacs singlehandedly (no pun intended) giving you nightmares with his hook-less hand and uncontrollable mane of hair.
Hook (1991 film) – “What if we aged Peter Pan, moved him to America, made him a horrible father, had Tinker Bell fall in love with him, and randomly sent in Captain Hook to kidnap his children?” “Wow, a movie all about the ‘adult Peter Pan’…I love it! What should we call it?” “Hook.”
Disney’s Peter Pan (1953 film) – The movie that you loved as a kid, and that made you realize that you never wanted to grow up. The movie that you watched again as an adult, and that made you realize how much racism, sexism, and innuendo went over your head the first time you watched it.
