Credit: DisneyA new face for an old pirate!
Disney is no stranger to Pirates. Since very early on, the rogues of the early 18th century have been a part of storytelling at both the studio and the Parks. Audiences and Guests alike have seen these scallywags as both heroes and villains, as scheming and bumbling, but they’ve almost always been around Disney. It’s only natural, therefore, that the tradition would continue, and now, Disney fans can see a new pirate stepping on deck for their next reboot!
Arguably, since 1967, the most popular pirate franchise the world over has been Pirates of the Caribbean. The attraction at the Disneyland Resort was a passion project of Walt Disney himself and one that he poured a lot of time and effort into creating before his passing. Taking Guests on an adventure through the Golden Age of Piracy, the attraction features over 70 different audio-animatronic actors, immense sets, and a soundtrack that can’t be beaten!
Disney hit on unexpected success when adapting the attraction for film with Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Headed by Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as William Turner, Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, and Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa, the film was a cultural phenomenon and went on to be a successful franchise for Disney. As popular as these buccaneers were, they weren’t the first at Disney.
Nor was the ride! The first well-known pirates at Disney burst onto the scene in Peter Pan (1953). As the foils to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll), Captain James Hook (Hans Conreid), and Mr. Smee (Bill Thompson) were the epitome of the 20th-century view of pirates. Taking inspiration from rogueish 1920s paintings, they would also serve as inspiration for the attraction at Disneyland later on and, much more recently, for the reboot of the classic story Peter Pan and Wendy (2023).
Already turning heads with visuals and casting, the reboot features Jude Law as the dastardly Captain Hook, and while audiences caught a glimpse of his character in the trailer, his loyal first mate, Mr. Smee, played by Jim Gaffigan, was conspicuously absent. Disney has since rectified this oversight and given audiences a look at the classic pirate, as shared by The Direct.
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Fans can expect to see Smee (Gaffigan) and company in Peter Pan and Wendy on April 28, 2023, on Disney+. The reboot of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale stars Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Ever Gabo Anderson as Wendy Darling, Jude Law as Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering as John Darling, Jacobi Jupe as Michael Darling, Alyssa Wapanatahk as Tiger Lily, and Jim Gaffigan as Mr. Smee. The story will follow the classic tale of Wendy (Anderson) being whisked off to Neverland and taking part in adventures alongside the ever-youthful Peter Pan (Molony).
What do you think of Gaffigan’s Smee? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!