Industrial Light & Magic's art director Alex Laurent will provide the Australian Effects & Animation festival (AEAF: Dec. 7-10, 2003) an exclusive preview of how the upcoming PETER PAN was brought to the big screen. Australian director P. J. Hogan (MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) is at the helm of the first live-action sound feature based on J. M. Barrie's enduring classic.
The Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios film began principal photography in October 2002 in Queensland. ILM used cutting-edge technologies to allow Hogan and his team to portray the fantastical visuals envisioned in the original material, including Neverland, flying, Tinker Bell and Peter's legendary battles with Captain Hook.
One of the defining elements of this adaptation is that for the first time in any version of the tale, a boy will play the title role of Peter Pan. The filmmakers conducted a worldwide casting search to find the young American actor Jeremy Sumpter (FRAILTY) that will embody Peter Pan. The film also stars Jason Isaacs (THE PATRIOT) as Captain Hook and Lynn Redgrave (SHINE) as Aunt Millicent.
Since joining ILM in 1997, Laurent's credits include MINORITY REPORT, THE MUMMY RETURNS, MISSION TO MARS and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. In addition to learning the inside secrets of the making of PETER PAN, audiences at AEAF (
www.dmw.com.au ) will experience the background to such box office-blockbusters as THE MATRIX RELOADED and REVOLUTIONS, FINDING NEMO, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE, WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH and THE CAT IN THE HAT.
