Smack dab in the middle of Disney’s “let’s do live action remakes of every cartoon we’ve ever done” phase, their probably anticipated film Peter Pan and Wendy has officially found its Tinker Bell. Yara Shahidi, best known as Zoey from Black-ish, Grown-ish, and Mixed-ish will play the feisty-ish fairy in Disney’s upcoming-ish live action retelling of the classic-ish story.
Shahidi is the latest bit of casting announced for the film, with Jude Law notably in recent talks to take the part of Captain Hook. However, this news is also particularly important because it marks the first time Tinker Bell will be played by a person of color in an official capacity. It could be seen as a solid step in diversity for Disney, depending on who one asks.
Other casting choices include Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson as the titular Peter Pan and Wendy, respectively. This will be Anderson’s second rodeo with Disney, as she also plays a young Natasha Romanoff in the company’s recently delayed Black Widow. David Lowery, who recently helmed 2016’s Pete’s Dragon, will direct the film.
Peter Pan and Wendy marks Disney’s third film based on J.M. Barrie’s original story, adding an additional 6 if one counts their direct-to-video Tinker Bell spinoff series. 2003’s live action Peter Pan (the one with Jason Isaacs) is often grouped with the rest in casual conversation, but many don’t realize it’s actually a Universal Pictures production and is not associated with Disney in any way. So while Disney’s upcoming adaptation may seem like tired overkill, the franchise has technically seen far more wear and tear in the Kingdom Hearts games than its films.
In terms of diversity, hopefully the Tinker Bell casting announcement is indicative of Disney’s more open embrace of inclusivity going forward. The Oscars’ new rules regarding best picture candidates aside, representation of as many groups of people as possible can only increase their popularity, with the bonus being more members feeling empowered as a result. Naturally, that bonus would work really well as a main goal, but hey, baby steps.
However Disney chooses to conduct themselves in the future, it will certainly help if Peter Pan and Wendy is a quality film. Yara Shahidi’s character on the expanded-ish universe of TV shows was popular enough with audiences to warrant her appearance outside of her original series as well as her own spinoff, so odds seem pretty favorable that her take on Tinker Bell will be an enjoyable one. As for the rest of the movie? Well, audiences will have to wait a couple-ish years to see.
Source: Deadline
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