The Twisted Childhood Universe recently made a horror version of J.M. Barrie’sPeter Pan,Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare— butOnce Upon a Timealready accomplished this several years ago.Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarepremieredon January 13, receiving a short theatrical run.The movie takes place in the Twisted Childhood Universe, whereWinnie the Pooh’s horror movie,Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, also takes place. Similar toBlood & Honey,Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmareis a twisted, devious version of a classic children’s tale.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarehas surprisingly done much better than its predecessor — so much so that thetheatrical release ofPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarewas extendedbecause the movie scored 70% among audiences onRotten Tomatoes. WhilePeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarehas been much better received thanWinnie the Pooh’shorror films, the movie feels redundant becausea horror version of Barrie’sPeter Panalready exists.Once Upon a Time, a popular TV show aired on ABC in the 2010s, created a distorted version of this classic childhood fairy tale character years earlier.
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WhilePeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmareis the best film in the Twisted Childhood Universe,ABC’sOnce Upon a Timealready has a horrific interpretation ofPeter Pan. At the end ofOnce Upon a Timeseason 2, Greg and Tamara kidnap Henry Mills, Emma Swan and Regina Mills' son, and take him to Neverland. Peter Pan is quickly established asa major villain inOnce Upon a Time, aiming to use Henry’s heart for himself. Peter’s time in Neverland is running out, so if he wants to stay young forever, he needs the heart of the Truest Believer: Henry.
However,Once Upon a Time’s Peter Pan is far more than just a typical villain. His followers terrorize, manipulate, kidnap, and kill people on his behalf. Peter manages to influence and intimidate people all over the Land Without Magic and other realms. Even Rumplestiltskin, one ofOnce Upon a Time’s most devious characters, is terrified of Peter Pan, which shows how threatening he is.Once Upon a Timeturns a classic childhood icon into one of the scariest villains, makingPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmareseem a bit redundant.
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WhileOnce Upon a TimeturnedPeter Paninto a horror story before the Twisted Childhood Universe, Barrie’s original story can be viewed as a horror narrative on its own.Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmareserves as a horrific parody of the original tale: a story about a boy who refuses to grow up. Barrie’sPeter Panexplores the dichotomy between the carefree innocence of childhood and the bleak reality of responsibility in adulthood. WhilePeter Panframes adulthood as something negative,it also illustrates the prospect of Neverland as horrific.
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Although Peter Pan will never grow up and is free to do as he pleases, his time in Neverland highlights how his flaws have consumed him. Peter is arrogant and impetuous, always getting into trouble. In Barrie’s story, the Lost Boys exist because Peter kidnaps them if their parents do not claim their fallen babies within a week — the same timeframe for other horror classics, such asThe Ring. The originalPeter Pannarrative is a beloved children’s tale, butthe story contains many horrific elements that make it easy to create a horror interpretation.
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Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Might Fit In The Horror Genre More, But Once Upon A Time’s Peter Is Scarier
AlthoughPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarefits inthe horror genremore thanOnce Upon a Time, the latter surprisingly has the more terrifying interpretation. InOnce Upon a Time, Neverland is a separate realm that no one can leave unless Peter Pan provides explicit permission, except for mermaids, because they can freely travel between realms. However, Neverland inPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmareis an abandoned circus park. It might be challenging to free kidnapped children, butit is certainly not as terrifying as the prospect of being stuck in a different realm.
Furthermore,Once Upon a Time’s version ofPeter Panexisted beforePeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, the first interpretation portraying Peter as a terrifying villain. Therefore,Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarehad high stakes because someone else had already portrayed this concept.
The gore thatPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarehas is a significant reason why the movie is horrific. However,Once Upon a Time’s Peter Pan manages to be horrifying without gruesome gore. Furthermore,Once Upon a Time’s version ofPeter Panexisted beforePeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, the first interpretation portraying Peter as a terrifying villain. Therefore,Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarehad high stakes because someone else had already portrayed this concept. AlthoughPeter Pan’s Neverland NightmareandOnce Upon a Timehave vastly different audiences, it is clear thatOnce Upon a Time’s interpretation ofPeter Panis superior.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare
Cast
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is a fantasy-horror film from the team at Jagged Edge Productions, the same group behind other horror parody films such as Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. The film is a terrifying retelling of the original tale penned by J.M. Barrie in 1911.
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
