Like its titular character, Peter Pan movies never get old. Over a dozen films about the free-spirited young boy and his effervescent fairy Tinker Bell have been made in the last 100 years. Still, actress Yara Shahidi, who is set to bring the pixie-dust-sprinkling character to life in the upcoming Disney Plus original movie Peter Pan & Wendy, has a favorite.
For Shahidi, Julia Roberts’ portrayal of the character is the one that stands out to her the most. “I think she is one of the first Tinker Bells that kind of strays from what we imagine as the animated version,” she said in an interview with People. “It was fun to look back and watch the OG movie and her performance.”
Roberts played Tinker Bell in the Steven Spielberg classic Hook, and like Roberts, Shahidi’s version of the character is different from how many have come to know her. For starters, she’s not white.
Shahidi, a Black Iranian-American, says the decision by Disney to diversify the Peter Pan & Wendy cast goes beyond just “swapping out ethnicities,” as she says. “It’s about telling a story that feels reflective of the times that we’re in. I think every change was extremely intentional.”
In addition to her character, Captain Hook’s crew is made up of more than just white, male pirates. The Lost Boys now include some Lost Girls. And Peter Pan himself, played by young actor Alexander Molony, is mixed-race. Unfortunately, that’s proven too much for the racist trolls to handle. Nevertheless, Shahidi remains steadfast in her belief that the diversity within the movie is truly “reflective of the times that we’re in.”
Peter Pan & Wendy is just one of the many remakes and reboots of an original classic happening at Disney. The live-action The Little Mermaid is swimming toward its release date, a live-action Moana was recently announced, and a live-action Lilo & Stitch has completed a recent round of casting. And let’s not forget the Haunted Mansion.
Peter Pan & Wendy flies onto Disney Plus on April 28.
Published: Apr 21, 2023 12:33 pm