Syfy is set to fly with Peter Pan. The network that brought us Tin Man and Alice — re-purposings of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland — is heading back to fantasy land with a prequel to J.M. Barrie’s literary classic, Peter Pan.
The network has announced that Neverland, written and directed by Nick Willing, will start production next week in Genoa, Italy and Dublin, Ireland. The four-hour event is slated to air in 2011.
“Nick Willing is a master storyteller who has taken a literary classic and cleverly updated it for a new generation,” said Mark Stern, executive vice-president, Original Programming, Syfy. “Neverland will captivate viewers with a gripping narrative, great characters and unprecedented film-making techniques.”
A slew of high-profile stars have signed on to the project, including Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) as James Hook, Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) as Captain Elizabeth Bonny, Charlie Rowe (Pirate Radio) as Peter Pan and Bob Hoskins (Hook) as Smee, the character he played in Steven Spielberg’s 1991 big-screen blockbuster.
Willing, who directed three episodes of Tin Man, and wrote and helmed two instalments of Alice, has dipped into Charles Dickens’ England, making Peter the head of a gang of pickpockets working the streets of London at the turn-of-the-century. Jimmy Hook is the Fagin-esque mentor, who helps them snatch a treasure, which whisks all of them off to Neverland.
Once there, they meet others who have been transported to Neverland, including a band of 18th century pirates and a Native American tribe.
Will you watch? greg@tvguide.ca or comment below.
Check out the latest behind-the-scenes TV news in Nuts & Bolts or follow Greg on Twitter.
Follow TV Guide Canada on Facebook