Movies vs Novels: Peter Pan, Neverland & Hook

The book Peter Pan by J.M. Barry has had many film, stage play, further novelizations and even musical adaptations. Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. Peter Pan is a mischievous boy who can fly and who never grows up. He spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang, the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Native Americans, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie himself, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie’s works. (source: wikipedia)

As mentioned there have been numerous movie adaptations, but for this blog we are going to discuss our top three favorites:

Peter Pan (2003)

Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released by Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios.It was the first authorized and faithful film or TV adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s play in half a century, after Disney’s version in 1953. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie.

Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain Hook and George Darling, Olivia Williams plays Mrs. Darling, while Jeremy Sumpter plays Peter Pan, Rachel Hurd-Wood portrays Wendy Darling, and Ludivine Sagnier plays Tinker Bell. Lynn Redgrave plays a supporting role as Aunt Millicent, a new character created for the film. Contrary to the traditional stage casting, it featured a young boy in the title role (source: wikipedia).

Plot summary:

In stifling Edwardian London, Wendy Darling mesmerizes her brothers every night with bedtime tales of swordplay, swashbuckling, and the fearsome Captain Hook. But the children become the heroes of an even greater story, when Peter Pan flies into their nursery one night and leads them over moonlit rooftops through a galaxy of stars and to the lush jungles of Neverland. Wendy and her brothers join Peter and the Lost Boys in an exhilarating life–free of grown-up rules–while also facing the inevitable showdown with Hook and his bloodthirsty pirates. Written by Sujit R. Varma (source: IMDb)

Neverland (2011 mini-series)

Neverland is a fantasy miniseries that aired on the Syfy network (USA) on 4, 5 December 2011, and Sky Movies (UK) on 9, 16 December, written and directed by Nick Willing. It is a prequel to and re-imagining of the Peter Pan story.

Plot summary:

Raised on the streets of turn-of-the century London, orphaned Peter and his pals survive by their fearless wits as cunning young pickpockets. They’ve been rounded up by their mentor Jimmy Hook to snatch a priceless, some believe, magical treasure which transports them to another world. Neverland is a realm of white jungles and legendary mysteries of eternal youth, where unknown friends and enemies snatched from time welcome the new travellers with both excitement and trepidation. These groups include a band of 18th century pirates led by the power-mad Elizabeth Bonny, and the Native American Kaw tribe led by a Holy Man, which has protected the secret of the tree spirits from Bonny and her gang for ages, and that has meant war. But as the fight to save this strange and beautiful world becomes vital, Hook, Peter, and the ragamuffin lost boys consider that growing old somewhere in time could be less important than growing up, right here in their new home called Neverland (source: IMDb).

Plot:

Peter Pan (Williams) has grown up to be a cut-throat merger and acquisitions lawyer, and is married to Wendy’s granddaughter. Captain Hook (Hoffman) kidnaps his children, and Peter returns to Never Land with Tinkerbell (Roberts). With the help of her and the Lost Boys, he must remember how to be Peter Pan again in order to save his children by battling with Captain Hook once again.

Pan (2015)

Watch the official trailer here: