Disney to make live-action Peter Pan
Disney will produce a live-action version of Peter Pan, following in the footsteps of Cinderella and The Jungle Book.
According to Deadline, the studio has tapped director David Lowery to take on the project. His credits include the indie drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and the forthcoming family adventure Pete’s Dragon. He will write the script with Toby Halbrooks.
The news lands as the studio’s latest live-action take on the Disney classic is set to hit cinemas worldwide. The Jungle Book, which has received glowing reviews, is predicted to open with $70m (£49m) in the US. Last year Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella made $524m worldwide.
This year also sees the release of sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass. The studio also has live-action takes on Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, and Dumbo, to be directed by Tim Burton, as well as Pocahontas and Tinkerbell. It is not yet clear whether the latter film will cross over with Peter Pan.
The latest remake is one of many attempts to retell the classic JM Barrie tale of a boy who never grows up since Disney released their animated version in 1963. Steven Spielberg gave it a revisionist spin in the live-action Hook in 1991; PJ Hogan’s Peter Pan was a box office flop in 2003, while Joe Wright’s version last year also failed to perform.