Diksha Sundriyal
Disney’s ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ reimagines the classic story written by J.M. Barrie. The story follows Wendy and her brothers as they are whisked away to a fantasy world by Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. This world comes straight out of the stories they have heard over the years and feeds into their sense of adventure. However, things get dangerous when Captain Hook shows up, intent on killing Peter Pan.
As Peter, Wendy, and the other children try to defeat the pirate and his crew, secrets about their origins come to light. Ultimately, they all have to decide what path they want for themselves. Through the imaginary characters, the story touches upon issues that feel timeless. If you want to know more about the setting of the story, we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD
Peter Pan & Wendy is Set in the Early 1990s
‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ takes place in the early 1900s. Over the years, other adaptations of the source material have given different, more contemporary settings to the story. In David Lowery’s film, we go back to the Edwardian era. This is in line with the original timeline of the story’s inception. The character of Peter Pan first appeared in 1902 as a side character in one of Barrie’s novels. Later, the author gave him centerstage in a stage play that premiered in 1904. The play’s success led to Barrie publishing a full-fledged novel, ‘Peter and Wendy’ in 1911.
Wendy and her brothers leave their home one night with Peter Pan and spend at least a few days in Neverland. However, when they return home, they return to the same night they left. This indicated that time passes really slowly in Neverland, which is why perhaps the children never grow up there. While the film doesn’t specify how long Peter Pan has been in Neverland, it does reveal that he used to live in London, in the same home that Wendy’s family lives in now.
He ran away one night and never came back. It has also been long enough for him to forget certain things, just like the children in Neverland have forgotten who their parents were and where they came from. The fact that Peter and Captain Hook were friends when they were children, and the latter is an adult in his late 40s now; we can assume that at least a couple of decades or so have passed since Peter left his home. As for the Darling siblings, it hasn’t been more than one night.
Peter Pan & Wendy Takes Place in London
The story of ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ in London. Wendy Darling lives here with her family and is set to leave for boarding school the next day. However, she doesn’t want to grow up, and vocalizing this desire brings Peter Pan and Tinkerbell to her. He takes Wendy and her brothers to Neverland, where they never have to grow up. Wendy and her brothers had heard about this place in the stories and imagined it in all sorts of ways, but when they finally get there, it is even better than they had imagined.
The exact location of Neverland is unknown. Because it is a fantasy land, it cannot be reached by the usual modes of transportation. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Wendy, and her brothers fly to this place, where Peter directs them from “second star to the right, and straight on till morning.” Still, it is close enough to the real world, considering that anyone who tries to leave it will find themselves back in London or somewhere close.
Years ago, when Hook left Neverland as a child, he found himself adrift in the sea, where he was saved by the pirates, who work under him now. When Wendy and the others come back, they descend from the sky. All of this makes it impossible to jot down a proper location for the island while confirming its supernatural nature. The otherworldliness of Neverland is highlighted by the fact that time moves differently here. There are fairies, mermaids, and giant crocodiles, among other things, to show how different it is from London, but it is the “not growing up” part that makes it so much more interesting.
Read More: Where Was Peter Pan & Wendy Filmed?
