With Rooney Mara On-Board, Here's Everything You Need To Know About 'Pan'

Peter Pan is coming to the big screen again in July 2015, this time in Joe Wright’s ‘Pan’, which chronicles the character’s early years. While there’s not much known about the film the initial casting looks promising enough to get us excited to take another trip to Neverland.

Of course we all know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. JM Barrie’s classic children’s tale has been delighting audiences since 1904 when he was the subject of the stage play, 'Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'. The play was later expanded into the 1911 novel 'Peter and Wendy'. Pan has since enjoyed many movie outings, most famously Disney’s 1953 animated version. Then there was the 1991 Steven Spielberg movie ‘Hook’ intended as a sequel to Pan’s story. Here, a grown up Peter, played by Robin Williams, returns to Neverland to once again face his old adversary Captain Hook. In 2003, there was a live action Peter Pan featuring Jason Issacs based on Barrie’s original work. The copyright status of Barrie's work has meant that the character has been used and changed in various adaptations. The writer oringally passed on his copyright claim to London’s Great Ormond Street hospital, but the copyright’s differing international statuses have led to the character being frequently reimagined. Most recently ABC created a whole new evil pan on their show ‘Once Upon A Time’.

This new Peter Pan adaptation is being directed by English filmmaker Joe Wright. Wright isn't exactly known as the action adventure type his previous credits include 2007’s ‘Atonement’ and 2012’s ‘Anna Karenina’, both starring Keira Knightley. Providing the script is Jason Fuchs, who started as an actor but made his screenwriting debut with 2012's '_Ice Ag_e' sequel 'Ice Age: Continental Drift'. Its success made him the youngest writer in film history to pen a film that grossed over $226 million. He also has experience reimagining classic tales, having written the Nickelodeon TV movie ‘Rags’ a retelling of Cinderella where gender roles are switched (it's a boy who goes from ‘rags’ to riches.)

As for the plot, ‘Pan’ is exploring the origin story of the famous titular character. Peter is a young orphan boy from London finds himself taken away to the magical land of Neverland. The movie then focuses on his early adventures as he fights to rescue the Natives from the oppressive pirate Blackbeard and becomes the island’s hero. Captain Hook will also be included but his character wont have yet reached full on villain status.

Which Hollywood star will play Captain Hook?

So far the cast list is looking pretty good with Rooney Mara being the latest name added to the list. The actress, last seen in the Oscar nominated ‘Her’, will be playing Tiger Lily, the Native American princes. Hugh Jackman has signed on to take his first real villainous role, as Blackbeard, which hopefully will mean a welcome return to action for Jackman. Then ‘Tron:Legacy’s’ Garrett Hedlund will take on the role of Pan’s most famous adversary Captain Hook. Pan himself has not yet been cast, but directer Joe Wright recently held an open casting call London's Wembley Arena looking for ‘an aspiring male actor aged 11-13, who is no taller than 5ft 4inches.’

‘Pan’ is set for a July 2015 release and might just become the big family hit of next summer. While we have seen a lot of Peter Pan on the big screen, he’s a classic character that everybody knows and never tires of. Plus if the success in previous years of ‘Pirate of the Caribbean’ taught us anything, it's that people love pirates! Especially historically inaccurate ones, so lets sit back and think about Hugh Jackman in eyeliner as we prepare for our next flight to Neverland.