There Can Never be a Proper Screen Peter Pan

[Dani1923]

I’m not sure if there can be a proper Peter Pan (the character) on film or TV.

I think Barrie wanted Peter Pan between the ages of 6-8 years old. Michael Davies was 6 in those P.P. pictures and even though the statue is not modeled on Michael, the boy still looks around age 6-8.

Casting a 6 to 8 year old boy to play Peter would be very difficult. The boy has to be a good actor, which are few and far between because the actor is so young, and he has to fly and sword fight.

Jeremy Sumpter, who played Peter in the 2003 Peter Pan, said he had to practice sword fighting for about 4 hours a day non stop everyday for months before shooting the film, that’s incredibly hard work for a 12 or 13 year old to do, let along a 6-8 year old!
And the boy would have to be on a harness for hours on end on set, that’s what Peter and Darling children actors had to go through for the 2003 movie, and harnesses are not comfortable to be in!

So as much as I and a lot of people on this forum would like to have a very young boy play Peter Pan as envisioned by Barrie to be in a screen adaptation, it would just be too hard!

Having a 12 to 13 year old boy is technically too old to play Peter, but it is the most feasible way to still have a person who is still a young boy, but is still old enough to have the physical stamina required to play the role.

What are you guy’s thoughts on this?