By [ad_1]
Following The Green Knight, David Lowery is surprisingly taking his style to Peter Pan & Wendy, but the two aren’t as different as they seem.
When thinking of Peter Pan, specifically the Disney version, certain factors come to mind, like the bright colors, Tinkerbell’s disdain towards Wendy and the magical wonder and promise to never grow up while living in Never Neverland. While these particular factors are a must for any version of Peter Pan, Disney’s upcoming live-action remake, Peter Pan & Wendy, looks to be taking a slightly different direction with The Green Knight director David Lowery. Nevertheless, some of his films explore similar themes with his earlier projects that tie perfectly into the adult ideas that permeate the story of Peter Pan.
Before Peter Pan & Wendy, Lowery directed Pete’s Dragon, a story about an orphan who lives in the woods with a dragon named Elliot. Thematically, the film uses a forest setting to symbolize nature vs. nurture as Pete and Elliot take care of each other until it’s time for Pete to grow up and find his own family. This theme is prevalent in Peter Pan, specifically when the Lost Boys decide to leave Neverland.
Lowery’s other film, A Ghost Story, follows a ghost who passively watches time march on as his loved ones leave. In a way, the inevitability of time and death also stalks Captain Hook and is symbolized by the crocodile that follows him. The themes also coincide with the unspecified timeframe of childhood and how Neverland offers a chance for it to never end, which is ultimately too good to be true. The Green Knight also toys with time and mortality as Sir Gawain chooses to avoid death even as the clock ticks towards his fateful encounter with the Green Knight. There’s an ominous sense that time stops for no one in The Green Knight, and it’s a theme that works all too well for a story like Peter Pan.
While chatting on The Kingcast podcast, Lowery was very candid about some of the films whose themes, he believed, fit perfectly into his vision for Peter Pan. During the podcast, Lowery explained that when he went to Disney, he talked about getting rid of the problematic aspects of the story and animated film and asked, “What if we made The Revenant with flying kids?” Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant is a film that follows a frontiersman left for dead after a betrayal and bear attack who fights to survive in the snow to get his revenge. Comparatively, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys must also learn to survive on Neverland. This includes learning to be crafty, similar to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Hugh Glass.
Lowery discussed his other inspirations in a Reddit AMA where he was asked if he had referenced other A24 films in The Green Knight. In response, Lowery said, “It’s all a coincidence! I hadn’t seen Midsommar or The Lighthouse when we made the film. That being said, my new Disney film was very influenced by The Lighthouse.” Robert Egger’s The Lighthouse is a story about two lighthouse keepers forced to live in solitude on an island as they slowly begin to lose their minds due to isolation. At a glance, it’s yet another film that doesn’t necessarily mesh well with Peter Pan. However, when thinking in the context of Captain Hook’s crew being stranded or the Lost Boys and Peter Pan living without adults, they may not have a strong grasp on their sanity.
David Lowery knows how to create impactful stories with themes that stick with the audience long after the credits roll. He’s exceptionally gifted at exploring ideas of time, death and nature, which are all themes that reside in Peter Pan. While his filmography presents him as an unorthodox choice to helm Peter Pan & Wendy, David Lowery may be one of the few directors who truly understands the importance and fragility of time and childhood.
Peter Pan & Wendy is expected to release in 2022. To see its inspiration, watch The Green Knight in theaters now.
About The Author
[ad_2]
