Is Peter Pan & Wendy based on a book?

Disney’s newest live-action movie, Peter Pan & Wendy, is dropping this Friday, but is it based on a book, rather than the animated film?

Peter Pan & Wendy is the newest live-action film set to drop on the streaming service Disney+, though it seems to be a slight deviation, rather than a shot-for-shot adaptation of the original animated Peter Pan film.

The official plot of Peter Pan & Wendy is as follows: “Wendy Darling, a young girl looking to avoid boarding school, meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Wendy, her brothers, and Tinker Bell travel with Peter to the magical world of Neverland, where she encounters an evil pirate captain.”

While it’s obvious that Peter Pan & Wendy is based on the 1953 Disney animated classic Peter Pan, is the story actually based on a book? Well, read on to find out more.

Is Peter Pan & Wendy based on a book?

Yes, in fact Peter Pan & Wendy is based on a few things. The original book and play by J.M. Barrie, titled ‘Peter Pan & Wendy,’ and the 1953 animated Disney movie.

The story actually takes on a few names, that being ‘Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up,’ ‘Peter Pan and Wendy,’ or more simply ‘Peter Pan.’ The plot was originally written in play form in 1904 by J.M. Barrie, which was then adapted into a book in 1911. The story elements remained relatively the same between page and stage, and were inspired by Barrie’s close friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family, as the writer told Peter Pan stories to the children.

The original book’s synopsis is as follows: “Peter Pan and Tinkerbell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland – the island where the lost boys play. Magic and mischief is in the air but if villainous Captain Hook has his way, before long someone will be swimming with the crocodiles.”

The book as a whole follows a similar plot as the 1953 animated film, though the novel is arguably darker. There’s more injuries and confirmed deaths, that’s for sure.

As for how Peter Pan & Wendy 2023 is based on the 1953 animated Disney film, this new film appears to be a somewhat straight live-action adaptation, with with some updates added in, including a more active Wendy, girl Lost Boys, and perhaps a nicer Tinkerbell.

Another update will be how Tiger Lily and the native characters will be portrayed. In a recent interview, Tiger Lily’s actor Alyssa Wapanatâhk gave her thoughts on the original’s portrayal, and how this new film will differ from it:

“My thoughts on Disney’s past is that I hope they leave it where it is. The past and I think they will. I watched all the Peter Pan films. There were some films that did not do us justice for sure. When I first read that script, I could see the change. Once I was actually working with production, I noticed it even more, and it got better and better. The first time they told me that there was a cultural consultant team. I thought I need to be part of that team you know, all hands on deck.”

Peter Pan & Wendy launches on Disney+ this Friday, April 28, 2023.

You can find out about whether other films are based on books or true stories below:

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