Discover Neverland in the First Trailer for Joe Wright's 'Pan' starring Hugh Jackman

Are you ready for a fresh take on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan? Granted, retellings of classic fairy tales are nothing new nowadays but Joe Wright, the visual maestro behind Atonement, Hanna, and the gorgeous Anna Karenina, is hoping to truly bring something new to the table with Pan, an origin story about how the boy who never grew up became a hero.

We've already seen a handful of images so we know Wright is bringing a bold look to the film, beginning with the garishly-designed characters we're all familiar with. That begins with Hugh Jackman as the dread pirate Blackbeard, who is the villain here rather than Hook, played by Garrett Hedlund. Hook is more of a dashing adventurer at this point, and a friend to Peter, who is played by newcomer Levi Miller.

For all of Wright's skill as a filmmaker, there's something hokey about live-action versions of Peter Pan, and this one unfortunately seems too much like Steven Spielberg's Hook, which was a terrible misfire. Also starring Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried, and Cara Delevingne, Pan opens July 17th 2015.

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First Look at Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard in Images from Joe Wright's 'Pan'

Movies based on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan have been pretty hit or miss. Everybody appreciates the animated Disney classic, but there are probably just as many detractors as admirers of Steven Spielberg's Hook. While I have a special fondness for P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan film that sadly nobody bothered to see, it stands that the best live-action film on the subject may have been Finding Neverland, which is about the author not the story. Next year Joe Wright hopes to cast the Peter Pan story in a different light with Pan, an origin story that will star Hugh Jackman as the dread pirate Blackbeard, rather than Captain Hook.

That's not to say Hook won't appear, because he will played by Garrett Hedlund, but in these first images it's Blackbeard in the spotlight. We also get a look at Levi Miller as Peter Pan, armed with his sword and ready for swashbuckling action. In this film, penned by Jason Fuchs, Peter is an orphan kidnapped by Blackbeard's men (Hook is part of the crew) and whisked away to Neverland where he learns from the natives that he's destined to be a hero.

While Jackman looks a little silly here, there's also enough to suggest that Wright, who has done some truly gorgeous work on Atonement, Hanna, and especially Anna Karenina, is on top of his game from a visual standpoint.  Also starring Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar, Amanda Seyfried, and Cara Delevingne, Pan opens July 17th.

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Joe Wright Has Found His Peter 'Pan' in Levi Miller

So far Joe Wright's Peter Pan film, Pan, doesn't quite have the multi-racial feel he's promised. The prequel to the JM Barrie classic stars Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Garrett Hedlund as Captain Hook, Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily (!!!), Adeel Akhtar as Smee, and now we know newcomer Levi Miller will play the title character.

Miller will play a younger version of Pan in the origin story about a London orphan spirited away to Neverland. There he becomes a savior to the native people by leading them in a fight against the evil pirates. This will be the biggest role for Miller after appearing on Fox's failed series, Terra Nova.

Pan will open on July 17th 2015. [THR]

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