A Proper Peter Pan Sequel

[Dani1923]

I think a proper Peter Pan sequel would be about Peter’s adventures with Wendy’s grandchild Margaret and her unnamed great-granddaughter. These characters are mentioned at the very end of the Peter and Wendy novel. I’m very surprised no one seems to have written a story around that, unless they have and I have no idea about it.

I know I said the East of Kensington short film was good, but now that I think about it, the premise itself didn’t make sense because it doesn’t add up at all to what was said at the end of Peter and Wendy.
Also it confuses me now why in the movie movie Hook, they didn’t mention Wendy’s daughter Jane at all and why they changed her granddaughter’s name from Margaret to Moira (I know that’s one of Wendy’s middle names, but there was no real reason to change the name.). Why didn’t they just have Peter suddenly fall in love with Wendy’s unnamed great-granddaughter, name her Moira and continue from there. That would have been a proper connected story point from the end of Peter and Wendy!
Oh well!

This seems random, but I just wanted to get those thoughts out!

[Hannah Grippo]

Hmm...I've never read Peter Pan in Scarlett or any of the other attempted sequels, so I don't know what's inside them. Have you? I saw Hook as a child, and while I appreciated it for Spielberg actually reading the book (more than could be said of some other adaptations), I found it to be rubbish too.

Funny story: I'm guilty of writing my own fan fiction sequel as a 15 or 16 year old, called "Kiss of the Lord" but it was awful, and only one other person has laid eyes on it (note to self: go in the attic and burn that as soon as possible). I remember trying to incorporate as much as Barrie's original as I could, but then added so many of my own characters and plots from my personal life that it made no sense as a sequel. It was more of a coping mechanism for an oddball teen, and it ended up changing my life, so no regrets. Sorry, got sidetracked there.

I'm all for fan fiction, professional or just for fun, and sometimes will go as far as death of the author, but I've always made the exception with Barrie, because of his life story being so intertwined with his work. So I wouldn't be easily impressed with any attempted sequel.

As for Wendy's children and grandchildren, I believe Disney did a movie theatre sequel about Wendy's daughter Jane. Apparently, she is in the middle of the Blitz and having trouble in growing up too fast, and ends up in Neverland where she learns to believe. Something like that. I never heard a story of Margaret though. I'm currently reading a novel about a great-great-whatever grandchild of Wendy, named Fergus, and he has Autism (going to Neverland helps him learn to cope with the world and find confidence in who he is). It's not very Barrie-ish in style, but I have a spot in my heart for people on the spectrum as I work with children who are.

[Brutus]

There are many sequels to Peter Pan, some authorised, others not, a lot are self-published or fan fiction (and usually pretty bad...) but none are actual sequels, just another adventure, usually without keeping to the spirit of Barrie, and adding lots of magic or fairy stuff. Peter Pan in Scarlet is beautifully written, but it isn't what I would call a proper sequel.

Disney's Return to Never Land is set during WW2 which doesn't make sense, period-wise, and is over sentimental.

It's the same problem with prequels, or origin stories: they bear no connection with Barrie's vision or his original story (Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and don't even try to tie them in.

I keep hoping someone will do it, without making Peter into another Dickensian or Harry Potter-ish character.

[Dani1923]

Hannah- I’ve never read Peter Pan in Scarlet either, but I’ve read a summary of the plot and of course it doesn’t match with the ending of Peter and Wendy.

I enjoy the movie Hook even though it doesn’t make sense continuity wise, call it a guilty pleasure!

Don’t ever be ashamed to express yourself creatively! The only way to write good stories is to write bad ones first!

And I’m so stupid! How did I forget about Return to Neverland when I just watched that movie a few months ago! That movie, in my opinion, was a good sequel to the 1953 Disney Peter Pan, but again, definitely not a good continuity with the end of Peter and Wendy! But it’s another movie I still enjoy! Except for that dumb pop song they play during emotional moments for some reason!!

I’ll have to check out that book you’re talking about about Wendy’s great-great grandchild, sounds interesting!


Brutus- Like I said to Hannah, I still enjoy Return to Neverland, even though it makes no sense continuity wise with Peter and Wendy.

And I really hope too that someday someone makes a good Peter Pan prequel using the Barrie’s actual background story for him!

[Dani1923]

Hannah,

I just read an excerpt of Forever Neverland  and though the book seems okay in general, they are already two things that are confusing me.

Number 1: Is Clover and Fergus’ grandmother supposed to be Wendy’s granddaughter Margaret? Is her name revealed? She does say her mother was Jane so it must be!
Also I wonder if the grandfather being named Jack is a nod to Jack Ll.D.?

Number 2: According to this book, J.M. Barrie and the Peter and Wendy book exist in this universe and the characters in the book read it! How is that possible??? That’s like if Harry Potter was reading a Harry Potter book! That doesn’t make sense!

It might just me being bias, but a Peter Pan story in novel form that doesn’t have JMB’s writing style is turning me off to the story and doesn’t feel like a proper Peter Pan book to me! But I do love that they are focusing on autism so there’s that!

[Hannah Grippo]

I agree. "Hook" did the same thing and made JMB a neighbor who happened to hear Wendy's stories and "liked them so much". I don't like brushing off Barrie's heart filled and breaking story of how he created Peter Pan. I'm really reading this book to understand a bit more of Autism (though I haven't researched the author, and don't know how much Ms. Adrian knows about that subject and identity herself).

Another book I do recommend which, while not a sequel or reimagining, is called "Planet Earth is Blue". It was beautifully written by a woman on the spectrum who works with Autistic children herself too. The lead character's two favorite books are Peter Pan and The Little Prince, so there's quite a few references to those classics. Not technically about Peter Pan, but I did draw quite a few connections in reading it.

[Chanelferris]

Hey Hannah 

Also I’d like to add if anyone has watched the hook movie that when Robin Williams character (Peter is talking to Wendy when she’s in bed after Hook has kidnapped the children) in the background you can see Spielberg had added photos of James Barrie and another one of Michael Llewelyn Davies and James Barrie at black lake cottage.. I had watched the movie a million times and when I was watching it with my little cousin I paused the video and realised it 

Best regards,
Chanel

[Dani1923]

I’ve seen that too Chanel! And I completely forgot about it until I read your comment! That is a cool little detail! 😀