Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare

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Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare
Peter Pan Neverland Nightmare poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Scott Chambers
Screenplay byScott Chambers [1]
Based on Peter Pan
by J. M. Barrie
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyVince Knight
Edited byDan Allen
Music byGreg Birkumshaw
Production
company
Jagged Edge Productions
Distributed by Iconic Events Releasing (United States)
Release dates
  • January 13, 2025 (2025-01-13)(United States)
  • February 24, 2025 (2025-02-24)(United Kingdom)
Running time
89 minutes [2] [3]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£250,000–£310,000 [4]
Box office$230,515 [2] [3]

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare is a 2025 British independent horror film written and directed by Scott Chambers. It is the third installment in The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU), and serves as a horror retelling of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan . The film stars Martin Portlock as the titular character and Megan Placito as Wendy Darling, with Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Charity Kase, Teresa Banham, Nicholas Woodeson, Kierston Wareing, and Olumide Olorunfemi in supporting roles. It follows Wendy as she embarks on a quest to find her brother Michael, who has been abducted by Peter Pan and taken to the titular Neverland.

Contents

First announced in November 2022 as a Peter Pan-based horror film, the film was subsequently revealed to be set in the TCU shared continuity. The cast was announced between January and June 2024, with Banham reprising her role from Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (2024) as Mary Darling.

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare was theatrically released in the United States on January 13, 2025, and is set to be released in the United Kingdom on February 24. [5] [6] The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $230,515 in the United States.

Plot

Fifteen years ago, Peter Pan worked at a fantasy-themed circus known as "Neverland" where he performs as a mime for many children. After a show, Peter attempts to abduct thirteen-year-old James in his house to take him to Neverland. James' mother Roxy tries to stop Peter from taking him, but is murdered after a fight in which she mutilates Peter's face while he abducts her son.

In the present day, siblings Wendy and Michael Darling live in a complex family dynamic with their parents John and Mary, the latter working as a hypnotherapist at the nearby town of Ashdown. [a] As a surprise birthday present, Michael receives a bike, and Wendy gives him a ride to school, promising to pick him up later. She gets distracted while talking to her boyfriend, and does not notice when Michael leaves on his bike.

Michael rides through the woods and Peter eventually abducts him. The Darling family receives a phone call from Peter, who informs them that Michael has been taken to Neverland. The next day, Peter slaughters a bus full of children while searching for Michael's best friend Joey. Simultaneously, Wendy, Joey, and his sister Lily visit Steven, a past victim whose transgender child, Timmy, was abducted by Peter years ago.

Wendy stays the night with Joey's family, but Peter arrives to abduct him, killing Lily and her parents in the process. Meanwhile, Michael meets Timmy, now going as "Tinker Bell", who believes everything Peter has told her over the years and is convinced that the children Peter kills are actually going to the fictional Neverland island due to the drug abuse Peter subjected her to.

After following Peter to Neverland, where he is holding Michael hostage, Wendy breaks into it to save him. Peter becomes aware of Wendy's presence when her phone rings as she finds Michael. The siblings are separated when Peter attacks them, with Wendy finding Joey alive in a closed coffin. They find a window through which Joey escapes while Wendy discovers James, now heavily mutilated and chained in the basement with a hook for a hand.

Tinker Bell betrays Peter after Wendy reveals that Steven misses her. Peter kills Tinker Bell and engages in a fight with Wendy, in which he bites off her two fingers, until Michael appears and brutally beats Peter. James emerges from the basement, hooks a critically injured Peter in the shoulder, and drags him away as revenge for Roxy's death.

One year later, Michael celebrates his birthday with Wendy and a reconciled John and Mary. Wendy receives a phone call and hears the same music that was heard in Peter's original call, implying that he is still alive.

Cast

Additionally, Eddy MacKenzie, who portrayed Piglet in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (2024) appears as a party storekeeper who is murdered by Peter.

Development

In November 2022, a Peter Pan -based live-action horror film, titled Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, was announced to be in development for ITN Studios and Jagged Edge Productions, with Rhys Frake-Waterfield producing. [7] Frake-Waterfield has stated that the film will depict the character Tinker Bell as a "heavily obese" recovering drug addict. [8] The film was written and directed by Scott Chambers. [9] In February 2023, the film was additionally revealed to be set in the same continuity as Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) and its sequel. [10]

By January 2024, Martin Portlock, Megan Placito, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, and Charity Kase were cast as Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, Michael Darling, and Captain James Hook, respectively. [11] By June 2024, Nicholas Woodeson, Kierston Wareing, Teresa Banham, Olumide Olorunfemi, and Campbell Wallace were added to the cast. [12] Banham reprises her role from Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 as Christopher Robin's hypnotherapist Mary Darling. [13] Principal photography began on May 9, 2024 in London, [1] [11] [14] which Chambers confirmed via his social media. [15]

The film was produced by Jagged Edge Productions in association with ITN Studios for a budget of £250,000–£310,000. [4]

Release

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare was theatrically released in the United States by Iconic Events Releasing on January 13, 2025, and is set to be released in the United Kingdom on February 24. [5] [16] [6] The film was originally set to be released in 2024. [11] [17]

Reception

Box office

As of January 24, 2025, Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare grossed $230,515 in the United States. [2] [3]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 47% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10. [18] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [19]

Sequel

In January 2025, director Scott Chambers announced plans for a sequel, acknowledging that the film needs to perform well at the box office before the project can be officially green-lit. He also stated that the plot would explore the realization that though the first film depicts Peter Pan exploring Neverland while he is under the influence of drug abuse and the audience is intended to question its reality, the sequel would reveal that the location is indeed a real place. [20]

Notes

  1. ↑ As depicted in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (2024).

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References

  1. 1 2 Ritman, Alex (May 18, 2024). "'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey' Makers Unveil 'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' First Look (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Rocklin Graves Productions (January 12, 2025). Interview with SCOTT CHAMBERS | Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare . Retrieved January 12, 2025– via YouTube.
  5. 1 2 Navarro, Meagan (December 11, 2024). "'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' Trailer Unveils Release Date for Next 'Poohniverse' Entry". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Heath, Paul (January 10, 2025). "'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' gets a first look clip". The Hollywood News. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  7. ↑ Ritman, Alex (November 1, 2022). "Viral Low-Budget Horror Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey Getting Theatrical Release in U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ Senzatimore, Renee (February 10, 2023). "Peter Pan Horror Film Features a Darker, Drug-Addicted Tinkerbell". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (October 31, 2023). "Premiere Entertainment Group reports strong pre-sales on Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (exclusive)". Screen Daily . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ Ritman, Alex (February 8, 2023). "'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey' Director Plans to Create Low-Budget "Twisted" Childhood Horror Universe With Bambi, Peter Pan and More". The Hollywood Reporter . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Squires, John (January 30, 2024). "'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare': Exclusive Sneak Peek at the Upcoming Peter Pan Horror Movie". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ Squires, John (June 24, 2024). "'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' – Official Poster for 'Poohniverse' Team's Next Horror Movie". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. ↑ Hay, Carla (March 29, 2024). "Review: 'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2', Starring Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Teresa Banham, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Alec Newman and Simon Callow". Culture Mix Online. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ Squires, John (December 15, 2023). "Bambi: The Reckoning Exclusive Update: Cast and Director Announced for Bambi Horror Movie". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ @scottjeffreyproducer (May 9, 2024). "Now filming! 🧚🏻‍♂️" – via Instagram.
  16. ↑ Gearan, Hannah (December 11, 2024). "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare Theatrical Release Date Revealed". ScreenRant . Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ TTCUNews [@TTCUNews] (May 1, 2024). "The Current Release Schedule for the Twisted Childhood Universe movies are Peter Pan: 2024 Bambi: Early 2025 Pinocchio: 2025 Poohniverse: Late 2025 BAH 3: Early 2026" (Tweet). Retrieved June 19, 2024– via Twitter.
  18. ↑ "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 24, 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  19. ↑ "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare". Metacritic . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  20. ↑ Ridgley, Charlie (January 6, 2025). "Why Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare Is Nothing Like Winnie-the-Pooh Slashers (Even Though They're Connected)". ComicBook.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025. ...there's something really twisted and messed up, that Neverland does exist and there is this otherworldly thing, and he was able to communicate to it. I definitely have a whole sequel in store. I literally have the whole script already. I just need budget to do it, and I need this to do well.
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