Disney has taken a long time to make and release its new live-action Peter Pan & Wendy film, but there are several reasons for this. Disney’s latest live-action remake is both an adaptation of the original Peter Pan novel by J. M. Barrie and a remake of its own 1953 animated classic. Peter Pan & Wendy was first announced in 2016, but is only now nearing its release date of April 28, 2023, seven years later.
For comparison, Disney’s CGI The Lion King remake – not quite animated but also not quite one of the many modern Disney live-action remakes – was also announced in 2016 and released only three years later. A follow-up, Mufasa: The Lion King, is already due in 2024. Peter Pan & Wendy has taken the same amount of time as The Lion King and most of the development of its prequel. This prompts questions over exactly what caused the long gap between Peter Pan & Wendy‘s announcement and the eventual release.
Peter Pan & Wendy’s Movie Release Had Several Delays
Peter Pan & Wendy was delayed several times as it went through multiple drafts. Director and screenwriter David Lowery, along with co-screenwriter Toby Halbrooks, were confronted with the difficult task of honoring the original Peter Pan novel, adapting the animated film, and removing some of the more offensive elements, like the racist portrayal of Native Americans. Lowery also sought to remove guns from the picture, opting instead to have the pirates fight exclusively with swords. Pointing to the many Peter Pan movie adaptations over the years, Lowery (via EW) said, “…I just want to make sure that if we make this one – I know Disney feels the same way – let’s make it right.“
By 2018, Lowery had been working on the Peter Pan & Wendy script for two years and turned in a fourth draft, but it still was not done. The movie’s official title was finally announced in 2020 and the cast, including Jude Law as Captain Hook, began to be revealed. Filming was supposed to begin in April 2020 but was one of the many productions delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter Pan & Wendy was finally filmed in spring and summer 2021, with reshoots in February 2022.
Why Peter Pan & Wendy’s Release Platform Was Changed Twice
Peter Pan & Wendy also changed release platforms twice over the course of its development. Though it was originally headed direct to Disney+, Disney later announced with the casting of Alexander Molony as Peter and Ever Anderson as Wendy that Peter Pan & Wendy would have a theatrical release. Unfortunately, this announcement came in March 2020, just a few days before Disney parks were forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As plans changed due to COVID-19, Disney decided to release several new films on Disney+ instead of in theaters. Since it was originally destined for streaming, Peter Pan & Wendy was moved back to a Disney+ release in December 2020. Though Peter Pan & Wendy is finally coming out years after movie theaters have reopened and restrictions have been lifted, the Disney+ release stuck as the company continues to focus heavily on streaming.
