Whilst the rest of the Peter Pan & Wendy cast were shooting in the scenic surroundings of Newfoundland, Yara Shahidi was confined to a warehouse in California.
As the new Tinkerbell explained: “It required so much imagination, which was actually quite a fun challenge. It was such a treat to see the beautiful sets that were built and these really immersive spaces, and I was lucky because I got to see some of the first scenes of the film just when I was preparing to film in my beautiful little garage set.
“I had such a fun time because I’m coming from a show where I play a college character and I work on college set (Black-ish spin-0ff Grown-ish), which leaves very little to the imagination. I think there was something really interesting about having to create that very immersive experience for myself, which brought a lot of excitement to the journey.”
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Playing Tinkerbell is a dream role for the 23 year old star, who grew up on fairytales as she didn’t watch much TV whilst growing up. She confesses that playing the character is a “full circle” moment, after dressing up as the fairy for multiple Halloweens as a child, but was still relieved that the film depicted her from a fresh perspective.
“What I love so much about David’s (Lowery, director) script was the really subtle ways it re-establishes the relationship between Tinkerbell and Wendy. She’s the first person that acknowledges the magic that Tinkerbell provides to allow the whole crew to fly, which isn’t something that I think Tinkerbell is even used to getting credit for.
“And so throughout, there are these really subtle moments where you see that Wendy is seeing Tinkerbell for more than she’s used to being seen for. And vice versa, that Tinkerbell recognizes something really powerful in Wendy, as somebody that she turns to throughout the journey.”
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The actress finds herself steeped in the history of Disney on a daily basis due to the filming locations used for her TV series, and is now overwhelmed at being part of the company’s legacy as it turns 100.
She said: “It’s really fun to be able to have this movie come out at such a special time. I work in the old animation building at the Disney lot, and so every day I get reminded of that history from the earliest animated films.
“To be be a part of that legacy of storytelling and fairy tales is really special.”
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The film is very pointedly called Peter Pan And Wendy, nodding back to J.M Barrie’s original novel, giving Peter’s human companion equal footing in the story. This is something that stood out to actress Ever Anderson, the daughter of Milla Jovovich and director Paul W.S Anderson, when she began auditioning for the part of Wendy Darling.
She said: “From the get go, there was this new sense about Wendy, she has this heart for adventure. It wasn’t easy being a woman in the early 1900s, so you could tell how scary that must have been for her to have to accept getting ready for the life that was already set up for her before she was really ready for it.
“So what I loved about Wendy was through all these challenges that she had to face, she was still so true to herself. She dreamt on and she continued to do what she loved.
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“It’s incredible to think about all the children who have grown up being read the story of Peter Pan. It’s a story that has always meant so much to me, and I’m excited for everybody to see it.”
But whilst these other characters have been transformed, it was key for the film to stay true to the audience’s perception of Peter Pan – at least, it was for newcomer Alexander Molony, who is stepping into the shoes of the boy who never grows up.
“It was a massive privilege stepping into the shoes of characters who have been rooted in people’s childhoods since the 1900s”, Molony said. “Just a massive honour.
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“I mean, just stepping into the costume for the first time during the two month period of trialing various costumes… it just felt right. We did a few camera tests and and I just looked back on it and thought, “Wow, I’m actually here doing this”.
“Disney has played a massive part in my childhood, so to now actually be part of that family feels amazing”.
Peter Pan & Wendy is streaming on Disney+ from Friday, 28th April.
