'Peter Pan and Wendy': Disney begins production on live-action film

Disney announced the production kickoff on Tuesday, confirming that filming is now underway in Vancouver, Canada. This brings the highly-anticipated project just one step closer to its eventual release on Disney+ in 2022.

Peter Pan and Wendy is the second Disney live-action remake for director David Lowery and producer Jim Whitaker, who both worked on 2016's Pete's Dragon. Written by Lowery and his Pete's Dragon co-writer, Toby Halbrook, the script is inspired by Disney's Peter Pan, itself based on J M Barrie's 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, as well as the classic 1953 animated film from Walt Disney Animation.

Production begins in the wake of a number of exciting casting announcements. The live-action film will be led by newcomers Alexander Molony, and Ever Anderson, who is the daughter of action star Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil). Before starring in her first ever titular project, Anderson will next be seen in Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated Black Widow as the younger version of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff.

Joining Molony and Anderson are Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinkerbell, Molly Parker (House of Card) as Mrs. Darling, Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Mr. Darling, and Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show) as Smee along with newcomers Joshua Pickering as John; Jacobi Jupe as Michael and Alyssa Wapanatâhk as Tiger Lily.

J.M. Barrie's iconic tale has been adapted into a live-action film a few times including Steven Spielberg's 1991 live-action film which starred Robin Williams and Julia Roberts; and 2003's coming-of-age film starring Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood which was probably the most recognised live-action adaptation among many young people; and the most recent one, Joe Wright's 2016 Pan starring Hugh Jackman. However, Disney's 1953 animated film Peter Pan has remained the most popular adaptation of the tale.