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Swiss Director Ben Hibon Set to Helm Supernatural Thriller 'Pan'

by Ethan Anderton
November 22, 2010
Source: Variety

If you joined the masses this weekend in theaters to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, then you're already familiar with the work of Swiss director Ben Hibon. Sure franchise helmer David Yates directed the film itself, but Hibbon is responsible for that sweet animated sequence where Hermione tells The Tale of The Three Brothers and the history/myth of the Deathly Hallows. Now Hibon is set to direct his own fantasy action thriller as Variety reports he's set to helm Pan, a story which we haven't heard about in nearly four years, that takes the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan and turns it completely on its head. Read on!

Ben Magid wrote the script which was picked up by New Line in 2006 and apparently was once considered to be a directing vehicle for Guillermo del Toro. The story uses J.M. Barrie's classic characters but with a twist: Captain Hook is the hero, a haunted former police detective, while Peter Pan is some sort of childlike kidnapper. Having read the script, I can tell you that the idea is quite brilliant, but the execution of it leaves something to be desired. I feel like the story (at least in the draft that I read) is a missed opportunity that takes a great concept but just turns it into another generic thriller. Hopefully there's been some rewrites on the script, and Ben Hibon can bring some of the magic that he used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I into the live-action realm. Interested?

Related categories: Movie News, Opinions

Jericho

desperate enough to do another Pan movie?
Matt

Might be difficult to find a target audience mixing child stories with child-kidnappers and haunted police detectives, but could be effective if done the right way. I'm interested...
Voice of Reason

I was really effing impressed with the "Three Brothers" animation. Granted that was just a 5 minute segment, but the guy definitely got my attention....sure, bring it on!
Tiana

I think that this will be successful as long as the cinematic elements are up to par. I'll definitely keep an eye out for this one...
BobTanaka

ENOUGH WITH THE "TURNING CLASSIC TALE ON ITS HEAD" MOVIES! They never were that clever, and they haven't gotten any more so with time!
Jason Roberts

This is similar to what happened with Russell Crowe's ROBIN HOOD - which was originally a reimagining of the story with the Sheriff of Nottingham as the hero and Hood as the outlaw. It was a very cool concept. And the script was reasonably well done. But then Crowe and Ridley Scott got involved, and they and the studio quickly realized that they had this global brand of Robin Hood and yet the main character was someone barely anyone knew - the Sheriff. You make a movie called NOTTINGHAM and have Robin Hood be the villain, well, no one knows what that movie is. (even if it would be a cool movie) SO they retooled the whole script to just basically make another Robin Hood movie. And we saw what it got them. I suspect the same thing would happen with PAN if they ever make it. You can't take a global brand of Peter Pan and expect to make him villainous and not market the film around him. It just makes no sense on a global marketing level. This movie will never happen is my guess.
KING

best was hook. LOL
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

I was going to say that the Peter Pan graphic novel by Regis Loisel would be a good version of the story to tell, where Peter's mother is a prostitute who is murdered by Jack the Ripper before he escapes to Neverland. But it's already been made: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5386034638624653743 The stills and character shots look great but from the trailer the film itself looks pretty bad. If anyone is interested in Peter Pan or just great drawings they should check out the book. Some stills and more info (French) here: http://www.wartmag.com/?p=4589
DoomCanoe

i adore the idea. The Disney version was my favorite as a kid and as an adult i would love to see a twisted side on the story. although i think they should do it more like the Anime Paranoia Agent. keep it twisted and almost frighting. more of a confusing imaginary take on the real world then a gritty detective hunt. ... if anyone hasn't seen Paranoia Agent check it out. the show is only 12 episodes and sends you on a hell of an amazing ride/mind fuck. second only to Be-Bop
quazzimotto

The "Deathly Hallows" sequence was impressive. Death never looked so cool, or good. This is an interesting premise and I'd like to see what he could do with it. But it might be even better as a dark animated movie (like doomcanoe suggests), similar to the veins of RE: Degeneration and 9. Might be a tough sell no matter how its done, might as well do it the way you want and get it out there.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

I also forgot about a real life boy who never grew up and kidnapped children, he could do moonwalks and did really terrible music, his name was Michael something. I think his story could be called Peado Pan.
http://carneyshegerian.com/ California Employment Law Attorney

Great movie! Love it.
TravisSpeegle

Pan is right, this thing will be panned into obscurity, turning Peter Pan into freddie krueger sounds like direct to video material.