Joe Wright's 'Pan' casts Peter Pan for origin film featuring Rooney Mara, Garrett Hedlund & Hugh Jackman
Joe Wright's upcoming gritty origin film Pan has just found its star in unknown young actor Levi Miller. After conducting some open casting calls for the part, Wright ended up choosing Miller whose most notable credit is an episode of Terra Nova.
Variety reports:
The film will be a new take on the classic story. It is set during WWII and follows an orphan who is kidnapped by pirates and brought to Neverland, where he discovers he's destined to save the land from the pirate Blackbeard. The world being created is international - and with a very different title character than previously imagined.
We previously reported on the film's other, bigger casting updates. These include Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard the pirate, Garrett Hedlund as a younger Captain Hook, and Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, a leader of a native tribe in Neverland. Mara is still in talks while Jackman and Hedlund have officially singed on with the Pride and Prejudice director.
Also, Adeel Akhtar will play Smee.
So far, the only form of diversity comes with Akhtar's casting but the rest of the cast is definitely lacking in that category. Perhaps we'll see Wright add on to his "international" idea as production gets closer.
There is still some controversy over Mara's casting as Tiger Lily, who has been portrayed as a Native American in other adaptations of this story. The role is up to interpretation though and Mara is an incredible talent so let's see how this plays out.
Pan is scheduled for release on June 26, 2015.