Benh Zeitlin’s first feature, Beasts of the Southern Wild, was a critical hit in 2012, making Zeitlin a director to watch and turning lead actress Quvenzhané Wallis into a star.
Eight years later, we’re finally getting a glimpse at Zeitlin’s follow-up, a re-imagining of the story of Peter Pan, titled Wendy. From the trailer, it seems as though Zeitlin’s new film has a lot in common with Beasts of the Southern Wild, as Wendy and the Lost Boys run around an island that feels caught in the grasp of magical realism rather than outright magic. There are creatures swimming in the water below, but also rusty boats and patches of dead grass. The “pirates” here seem to be normal adults rather than swashbuckling villains.
As per Fox Searchlight’s description of the movie, the island is a place where “aging and time have come unglued,” and Wendy’s struggle is not only to never grow up but to save her family as well.
The film is scheduled to hit theaters on Feb. 28, 2020.
