If you thought you’d missed out on seeing the latest installment in the Poohniverse – or, as I like to call it, the “ruin your childhood” cinematic universe — never fear, because you’ve now got one more weekend to catch Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. Yes, the film’s official X account just revealed that, in select cities, the film has extended its theatrical run through January 19.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is a gruesome spin on the classic tale by J.M. Barrie, turning the titular child hero from a mischievous Disney sprite into a baby-napper. Wendy Darling must set out to rescue her little brother Michael from the clutches of the never-ageing fiend, who intends to send the boy to Neverland. Along the way, she meets a twisted version of Tinkerbell, who is “hooked on what she thinks is fairy dust.”
The film stars Megan Placitoas as Wendy Darling, Martin Portlock as Peter Pan,, Charity Kase as Hook, and Kit Green as Tinkerbell, as well as along with Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Kierston Wareing, and Nicholas Woodeson.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is not the first, nor the only horror film to take popular characters that have entered the public domain and put a gruesome twist on them. There are not one, but two films based on Popeye hitting screens this year, including Popeye’s Revenge and Popeye the Slayer Man, as well as the other films in the Poohniverse franchise, including both Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, which will ultimately culminate in the Avengers-style film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble, because of course it will.
Director Scott Chambers also revealed that more twisted versions of your favorite childhood characters are to come in future films:
“I’ve not really spoken much about this yet, but Mary Poppins will be in it, and she’s going to be a kiddy snatcher as well. So I’m sure her and Peter Pan are going to get on like a house on fire. And then there’s also the Mad Hatter. I think those three are going to be the worst of the worst. We’ve introduced Peter and later down the line we will introduce the other two in their own films.”
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is playing in theaters now.
