According to The Hollywood Reporter, Channing Tatum, producer Joe Roth and writer Billy Ray are developing an origin film about Peter Pan. Right now, the story is being marketed as “Peter Pan Begins”.
Not much is known about the story’s plot or whether Tatum is planning on acting in the film or simply producing. Common sense dictates that he would be producing or, at the most, producing and acting in an adult role. Peter Pan has always been a boy, so it’ll be odd to see Tatum in tights.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this pitch is part of the growing trend of classic literature being used for movie ideas; Roth himself is involved in Disney’s “The Great and Powerful Oz” and Universal’s “Snow White and the Huntsman”. He was previously involved with Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland”. Another book property, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, is currently being redeveloped by Josh Brolin.
This current “Peter Pan” pitch reflects how much J.M. Barrie’s story of the eternal boy has been made and remade into films. The most notable version of the story is Disney’s classic animated film, “Peter Pan”. Also notable is the Robin Williams’ reworking of the story, “Hook”, and the 2003 “Peter Pan”. A film about J.M. Barrie’s life, “Finding Neverland”, has also been made, starring Johnny Depp playing the famous author.