By Shannon McGrew
PETER PAN'S NEVERLAND NIGHTMARE, the newest entry into the Poohniverse, follows Wendy Darling as she strikes out in an attempt to rescue her brother Michael from the clutches of the evil Peter Pan, who intends to send him to Neverland. Along the way, she meets a twisted Tinkerbell hooked on what she thinks is fairy dust.
For the release of PETER PAN'S NEVERLAND NIGHTMARE, Creepy Kingdom's Shannon McGrew spoke with actors Martin Portlock ("Peter Pan") and Kit Green ("Tinkerbell"). During their chat, they discussed everything from transforming into the darker versions of these iconic characters to the challenges of practical effects.
Thank you both so much for speaking with me today! What was it like to transform into such iconic characters as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell?
Martin Portlock: It's not every day you get to play Peter Pan. In fact, my first ever stage gig was Captain James Hook, and now I get to play the opposite. I don't know many people who can say that. Playing such an iconic character and then completely flipping it on its head. It's not what people would expect.
Kit Green: I loved hearing people's expectations when I told them what I was doing. There are enough of the original characters that it's sort of still there, and it's anchored in those. J.M. Barrie - the author of "Peter Pan" - was also weird [Laughs].
How was it collaborating with writer/director Scott Chambers to bring this dark version of Neverland to life?
Kit Green: I think he's wonderfully collaborative. I know all of the actors had different relationships with him and I loved the relationship that we had. When writing the script, he'd ask me if this was okay. Do you think this will work? He's so collaborative, and it feels really empowering. When it came to actually filming, it's not like, oh, I've been told to do this, so I better try that.
Martin Portlock: Given the character of Pan, for myself, there were so many different kinds of psychological avenues that might happen in a scene, depending on what happens in front of you. What was great about Scott is he allowed you to be free and explore those avenues. He didn't mind you taking risks or going bold or going small and retreating into yourself. He was one of those directors that you could trust. When Scott tells you we've got [the scene], you know you can trust him.
We love seeing a horror film incorporating practical effects, monster makeup, and set pieces over green screens. How did those elements help inform your characters? Were there any particularly challenging or memorable moments from that?
Martin Portlock: I would wake up in my hotel, travel to set, and then get straight into the prosthetic chair. We'd spend about an hour and a half to two hours doing all the facial prosthetics, and then right at the end of the shoot, we'd have to spend time taking it all off, go back to the hotel, have a shower, and then do it all over again the next day. It was very comfortable. Shaune and Paula Harrison, the prosthetics team, were absolutely amazing. They were lovely people. Their work is incredible. They don't just apply this stuff; they make, mold, and sculpt it. The most challenging moment for me was a scene where I appeared quite naked, shall we say, and there were a lot of prosthetics going on all over my body that took about three to four hours worth of prosthetics to go through. It was challenging but fun.
Kit Green: I had prosthetics on my arm, so I had a bit of that. I would say the main thing for me was being dirty. I sort of just gave up and stayed dirty most of it. I had really dirty hair for weeks and stopped cleaning under my fingernails. I remember walking around Hereford, which is a lovely place in the middle of the country, and visiting the cathedral and being aware that the nice lady at the cash deck was a bit like, you are filthy right now [Laughs]. Also, the house [we filmed in] was filthy and cold, with no green screen. We were just in a cold, empty, dirty house.
How was it working so closely with Megan Placito and Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, who play siblings Wendy and Michael Darling, respectively? Did you do anything specific to try to deepen their fear of you?
Martin Portlock: This was a really weird one because we were all very friendly. I would feel bad going up and saying, hey, how are you doing? and realizing they're trying to get in the zone [Laughs]. I had to pull myself back, and I always failed at that cause I'm naturally quite an outgoing, chirpy guy. Peter and Megan were wonderful, and they were so hardworking. We all went through very difficult days on that set. You can tell by just looking at the movie, like, as you say, nothing's green-screened; there's no big special effects. We did everything that was there. It was a mission, and everyone was very tired, but we all got on with each other. It was such a fun working environment.
Kit Green: I think Megan and I particularly worked out because there are a lot of tiny little moments of connection between us. We worked on those very naturally, I think because we were spending lots of time together. Peter is just really relaxed and wonderful.
Lastly, what do you think it is about J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" that is inherently creepy?
Kit Green: I think that period of British history is particularly strange. It's all about the patriarchy and these very high-status men who want to be little boys still. The public school system, the empire, is sort of like, look at us, we're sailing across the sea and conquering lands. It's a deeply weird part of culture that he sort of captured in a way.
Martin Portlock: I think he captured it in a way that made you want to back the kids' side. In retrospect, you've got Hook, who's minding his own business on the ship, and these kids are flying around killing pirates and committing murder and causing havoc. No wonder he was bad and went off on a vengeance. If you start thinking about a slightly older lad flying to your bedroom window and flying kids off to Neverland, forget all the stories we've grown up with; it's an inherently dark story.
PETER PAN'S NEVERLAND NIGHTMARE will be in theaters until January 23, 2025.