Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Whoa, Bro. No.

Well, more details have been released for the 'origin story' movie Peter Pan Begins. Faithful Pan fans, stop stop holding your breath. For as can (sadly) be expected, they’re ignoring the very work of the man whose story they are using for their own. In it, Peter Pan and Hook are brothers.

This is not so ridiculous a concept, considering that male siblings played a role in the creation of the eternal boy... and that Barrie himself had the idea for Peter’s brother. As you might already know, it had been the basis for more, which I crafted (among other tidbits and facts of and from Barrie) into Peter Pan’s NeverWorld.

And somehow, given the general track record, I don’t think they’re going to be as adept at enhancing and bringing out the inherent themes and symbolism as is Andrea Jones in her marvelous Hook & Jill. In defense, I think it would be much harder to have it part of the design when changing the medium from print to screen.

Why is it, folks? Why is it people (as I see it) have no respect for original literature? It just makes me sad. They’re basically saying (as I see it): “Well, Barrie already had a backstory for his own character, but we don’t like it so we’re making our own.” It’s not their place, nor anyone else’s, to do so. Why is it, then, my place to write a subsequent tale? It’s not, actually. The difference is that I did so without compromising, ignoring or contradicting his work - you know, respectfully. Besides that, Barrie had already come up with the idea. It’s not like it’s entirely my own. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t deign to write a sequel (or prequel) to any other work of any other author - not without their concept for it as a springboard. It’s quite sad that I and Andrea Jones seem to be the ones who understand that. And in the case of Jones, even though she does veer off course, she always remains anchored to Barrie through logical and compelling reasons to tell her ‘alternate’ story. [Elaboration here.]

There is, of course, a chance that they will do so as well. But as for me, I won’t be holding my breath. The mean streak in me (the one that's arguably in everyone) makes me want to try this kind of breathing toward them, instead: he breathed intentionally quick short breaths at the rate of about five to a second. He did this because there is a saying in the Neverland that, every time you breathe, a grown-up dies; and Peter was killing them off vindictively as fast as possible. - Peter and Wendy  [I say that only for the sake of the reference, no more.]

5 comments:

Anon said...

I think it's because they tend to think of these stories not as STORIES but as TEMPLATES. Disney was guilty of the same thing--I've looked at some of the source materials for some of his animated features, and I'm like, "Why did he choose to make ANYTHING based on THIS? It's so DARK and DEPRESSING and TRAGIC! How can he get a feel-good, happy ending, 'for the child in all of us' story out of THIS?"

And maybe there's a place for that kind of thing, only if that's the csae it shouldn't pass itself off as an adaptation but as something "inspired by" or whatever. It's one thing to take creative license, but lack of respect for the material you're adapting is something else entirely.

Peter Von Brown said...

Exactly.
You've clarified a point for me, thanks. [I've made the point in other posts, tho ;) ] Go ahead and twist the story however and I won't have any issue with it. (I may wind up not liking it, but I won't be dead set against it.) Just don't call it something (sequel, prequel) meant as contiguous with the original and then not follow it.

Anonymous said...

i will actually cry if there is a prequel...and andrea jones novel is brilliant so :P

Peter Von Brown said...

Cara -

I'm not sure I understand your comments.

First, there is a prequel by Barrie, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, sliced from the novel The Little White Bird. And Peter Pan Begins is also a (currently seemingly erroneous) prequel.

Yes, Andrea Jones's novel is brilliant. Andrea and I are good friends and I have nothing but praise for her and her work.

Princessa.Maria said...

:( This makes me sad. Hook and Pan are totally NOT brothers...