Though the live-action Peter Pan & Wendy is a remake of Disney’s 1953 animated Peter Pan, there are several major differences between the two. Like the animated film, Peter Pan & Wendy follows Wendy and her brothers, John and Michael, as they avoid growing up by traveling from London to Neverland with Peter Pan. On Neverland, they encounter pirates, mermaids, and the Lost Boys. At the end of the film, Wendy and her brothers decide to return home, while Peter goes back to Neverland.
The main characters and story beats of Peter Pan & Wendy and Peter Pan are the same, but the live-action film has added more to the plot and changed problematic elements. Peter Pan & Wendy draws inspiration from Disney’s old film, while still making a movie that stands on its own. It also pulls some material from J.M. Barrie’s original Peter Pan story that was missing from the 1953 Peter Pan.
10 Peter Pan & Wendy Cuts the Animated Movie’s Songs
There are a few diegetic songs in Peter Pan & Wendy, but none of them are from the original Peter Pan film. Mrs. Darling and later Wendy sing a lullaby and Captain Hook’s pirates sing a few sea shanties. Gone are “The Second Star to the Right,” “Following the Leader,” and the problematic “What Made the Red Man Red?” When Wendy flies for the first time, however, an instrumental of “You Can Fly!” plays in the background.
9 Peter Pan & Wendy Updates Tiger Lily
One of the biggest differences from J.M. Barrie’s original story and Disney’s animated Peter Pan is Peter Pan & Wendy‘s depiction of Tiger Lily and her tribe. Instead of racist caricatures, the Neverland tribe is based on real-life Native American culture.
Canadian Cree actress Alyssa Wapanatâhk was cast as Tiger Lily and contributed elements of her own culture to the character. Tiger Lily speaks a dialect of the Cree language. Unlike in Peter Pan, Tiger Lily’s tribe is only seen briefly, and Wendy doesn’t get to meet them but Tiger Lily plays a bigger role in the story of the film, acting as a leader when Peter Pan isn’t around and later saving his life.
8 Michael & John Are The Captives at Skull Rock
Speaking of Tiger Lily, she is no longer the captive about to be executed at Skull Rock. In the animated Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee tie Tiger Lily to an anchor and seat her in Skull Rock to drown when the tide comes in, because she won’t tell them the location of Peter’s hideout. In Peter Pan & Wendy, it’s Michael and John who are almost killed at Skull Rock. Tiger Lily instead leads Wendy and the Lost Boys to Skull Rock, where they help Peter save the brothers.
7 Peter Pan & Wendy Cuts The Mermaid Scene
Though Wendy briefly sees mermaids when flying to Neverland, there are no more scenes featuring them in Peter Pan & Wendy. Peter Pan has a scene featuring Ariel-esque mermaids who try to pull Wendy into the water and splash her. One mermaid famously says, “We were only trying to drown her.” The mermaids glimpsed in Peter Pan & Wendy have multiple glowing tails instead of just one, and don’t try to pull Wendy down with them.
6 Captain Hook Has a New Backstory
New to the story of Peter Pan & Wendy is Captain Hook’s backstory and connection to Peter Pan. No longer the cartoon-ish villain voiced by Hans Conried, Jude Law’s Captain Hook is a three-dimensional man who was once the first Lost Boy and Peter’s best friend. As far as the animated Peter Pan is concerned, Hook is just mean to children, but Peter Pan & Wendy endeavors to explain his behavior.
5 Peter Pan’s Backstory Was Changed
By making Peter and Hook old friends, Peter Pan & Wendy changes Peter’s backstory, too. But more than that, Peter Pan & Wendy changed his connection to Wendy. Instead of just visiting her home because he likes her and Mrs. Darling’s stories, it turns out he visits because it was once his home that he ran away from.
4 Tinker Bell Isn’t Jealous of Wendy
In the animated Peter Pan, Tinker Bell is jealous of how much attention Peter gives Wendy. Upon arriving in Neverland, she actually tries to get the Lost Boys to kill Wendy. In Peter Pan & Wendy, there’s no hint of jealousy. Early in the film, Tink seems a little exasperated with Wendy, but they quickly become friends. A subplot of the film is even about how Wendy is the only person who really “hears” Tink.
3 Peter Seems to Die Instead of Tinker Bell
A famous moment in Barrie’s original Peter and Wendy play is the death of Tinker Bell. The fairy is brought back to life by people who believe in fairies clapping. The animated Peter Pan couldn’t adapt the moment exactly but did have Tinker Bell seem to perish when she grabs a bomb from Peter’s hands. Peter is able to save her, however. In Peter Pan & Wendy, it’s Peter who seems to die instead, when he’s slashed by Hook and falls down the tower of his hideout, fulfilling his quote: “To die would be an awfully big adventure.” Thankfully, he doesn’t actually die and Tiger Lily is able to heal him.
2 Peter Pan & Wendy’s Final Battle is Different
The final battle between the Lost Boys and the pirates begins after Wendy walks the plank. In Peter Pan, she’s saved by Peter Pan. In Peter Pan & Wendy, she’s saved by Tinker Bell. The next major difference is that in Peter Pan & Wendy, Tink immediately makes the pirate ship fly, so it’s moving through the air for the entire fight. This creates an extra layer of tension as the Lost Boys and Wendy keep the ship from hitting a mountain, and eventually purposefully spin it upside down.
1 Peter Pan & Wendy Has a New Ending
Peter Pan & Wendy‘s ending more closely follows the ending of Barrie’s Peter and Wendy than the animated Peter Pan. The animated film has Wendy and her brothers return home without the Lost Boys, who aren’t ready to grow up. However, in the original play and book, and in Peter Pan & Wendy, the Lost Boys stay in London to be adopted by the Darlings. Peter Pan & Wendy adds a scene between just Wendy and Peter, reminiscent of a scene in the book involving Mrs. Darling. Then Peter returns to Neverland, and smiles down at Captain Hook – a new moment just for Peter Pan & Wendy.
