Peter Pan (2003 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter Pan |
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International theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | P. J. Hogan |
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| Music by | James Newton Howard |
| Cinematography | Donald McAlpine |
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| Release date(s) | 18 December 2003 (Australia) 24 December 2003 (United Kingdom) 25 December 2003 (United States) |
| Running time | 113 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $130 million |
| Money made | $122 million |
Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy adventure film directed by P.J. Hogan and written by Hogan and Michael Goldenberg. The screenplay is based on the 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the dual roles of Captain Hook and George Darling, Olivia Williams plays Mary Darling, while Jeremy Sumpter plays Peter Pan, Rachel Hurd-Wood plays Wendy Darling, and Ludivine Sagnier plays Tinker Bell. Lynn Redgrave plays a supporting role as Aunt Millicent, a new character created for the film.
After completing the script, Hogan and Goldenberg were given approval by Great Ormond Street Hospital, who held the rights to Barrie's story. Principal photography took place in Australia at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, Queensland from September 2002 to May 2003.
Peter Pan premiered at the Empire in Leicester Square, London on 9 December 2003 and was theatrically released by Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Revolution Studios in the United Kingdom on 24 December 2003 and in the United States on 25 December 2003. The film received positive reviews from critics but only grossed $122 million worldwide. With an estimated budget of $130.6 million (not including marketing costs), the film was a box office bomb resulting in a $70–95 million loss.
Plot
In 1904, in the nursery of the Darling household located in London, England, Wendy Darling tells stories of Peter Pan to her younger brothers John and Michael before their Aunt Millicent's arrival. Judging Wendy to be an "almost" full-grown woman, Aunt Millicent advises Mr. and Mrs. Darling that Wendy should be given her own bedroom. At school, Wendy is caught by her teacher, daydreaming with a drawing she made after supposedly seeing Peter in the night. The school sends a letter about this to Wendy's father at the bank. In an attempt to stop the messenger boy from delivering the letter with the help of the family's nurse dog Nana, Wendy embarrasses her father in front of his superiors. As punishment, Mr. Darling chains Nana outside and declares that it is time for Wendy to grow up and have a room of her own.
Peter visits the nursery looking for his shadow, which Nana had bitten off during his previous visit. He introduces himself to Wendy, who sews his shadow back on. Peter invites her and her brothers to Neverland where Wendy can tell stories to his gang of Lost Boys. They agree and are taught to fly using Tinker Bell's fairy dust. Nana breaks free from her chain and leads Mr. and Mrs. Darling back home from a party, but they arrive too late to stop the children flying away. Captain Hook and his crew are alerted to Peter's return and fire their cannons, knocking Wendy far away and causing Michael and John to fall towards the island. Jealous of Wendy's presence, Tinker Bell tricks the Lost Boys into shooting Wendy with arrows as she is falling from the sky. To their relief, Wendy survives as the arrow hits her acorn necklace. However Peter banishes Tinker Bell and ends their friendship.
Wendy awakens and agrees to be the Lost Boys' mother. They lead her to their hideout, but realize her brothers are missing. Michael and John encounter the Native American princess Tiger Lily and all three are then captured by Hook and his crew, and taken to the Black Castle. Peter and Hook engage in a duel, but it is stopped when the ticking crocodile arrives and tries to eat Hook, allowing the children to all escape. After a celebration at the Native American camp, Peter shows Wendy the fairies' home and the two share a dance. Hook spies on the two and charms Tinker Bell, still hurt over her banishment. Peter becomes upset with Wendy after she tries to get him to express his feelings. He tells her to leave, refusing to believe that he can ever love and grow up. Tinker Bell leads Hook's men to Wendy's makeshift "house" and they carry Wendy to his ship. There, he tries to entice her to become a pirate, but sends a spy to follow her to the Lost Boys' underground hideout afterwards. Wendy persuades her brothers to return home and are joined by the Lost Boys. Later, she leaves an upset Peter a cup of "medicine".
Wendy exits the hideout only to be ambushed and captured by Hook's crew. Hook enters the hideout and poisons Peter's medicine. However, Tinker Bell intervenes, drinking the poison instead, and succumbs to it. Peter asserts his belief in fairies, which reaches out to residents of London, bringing Tinker Bell back to life. Peter and Tinker Bell save Wendy and the boys from walking the plank by the pirates and a battle soon breaks out. Hook uses fairy dust to fight Peter in a duel while flying and taunts him about Wendy abandoning him and forgetting all about him when she grows up. Weakened by those thoughts and unable to fight, Peter Pan is incapacitated. A kiss from Wendy revives Peter and he finally defeats Hook, who falls into the jaws of the crocodile.
With the ship covered in fairy dust, Peter flies Wendy and the boys back to London. Mr. and Mrs. Darling are overjoyed at the return of their children, and adopt the Lost Boys. Slightly, who got lost on the way to London and arrives at the house too late, is adopted by Aunt Millicent. Peter promises never to forget Wendy and to return some day before heading back to Neverland with Tinker Bell. Wendy, as the adult narrator, claims she never saw Peter again, but she continues to tell his story to her own children and grandchildren so that his legacy will last forever.
Cast
- Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook: the captain of the Jolly Roger and Peter's archenemy: Peter cut off Hook's hand and fed it to a crocodile which has followed him ever since.
- Following the stage tradition, Isaacs also portrays George Darling, the Darlings' father.
- Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan: a young boy who does not want to grow up. Unlike other versions, Peter's feelings and even his mere presence affect various aspects of the weather.
- Rachel Hurd-Wood as Wendy Darling: the eldest child of the Darling family and a surrogate mother to the Lost Boys and her younger brothers, John and Michael.
- Saffron Burrows plays the adult Wendy, who narrates the film. Burrows appears in the deleted epilogue.
- Lynn Redgrave as Aunt Millicent: the maternal aunt of the three Darling children. Aunt Millicent is an original character created for the film.
- Richard Briers as Mr. Smee: Hook's humorous first-mate.
- Olivia Williams as Mrs. Mary Darling: the matriarch of the Darling family.
- Harry Newell as John Darling: the middle child of the Darling family.
- Freddie Popplewell as Michael Darling: the youngest child of the Darling family.
- Ludivine Sagnier as Tinker Bell: Peter's fairy companion who is jealous of Wendy.
- Rebel as Nana: the dog nurse of the Darling family.
- Carsen Gray as Tiger Lily: the daughter of a Native American chief.
- Kerry Walker as Miss Fulsom: a strict schoolteacher.
- Mathew Waters as the Messenger Boy.
- The Lost Boys:
- Theodore Chester as Slightly
- Rupert Simonian as Tootles
- George MacKay as Curly
- Harry Eden as Nibs
- Patrick Gooch and Lachlan Gooch as twins.
- The Pirate Crew:
- Alan Cinis as Skylights
- Frank Whitten as Starkey
- Bruce Spence as Cookson
- Daniel Wyllie as Alf Mason
- Brian Carbee as Albino
- Don Battee as Giant Pirate
- Frank Gallacher as Alsation Fogarty
- Septimus Caton as Noodler
- Jacob Tomuri as Bill Jukes
- Venant Wong as Quang Lee
- Phil Meacham as Bollard
- Darren Mitchell as Mullins
- Michael Roughan as Cecco
