Deadline confirms that Yara Shahidi will play Tinkerbell in Peter Pan and Wendy, another live-action retelling of one of Disney's animated classics. This is the first time a person of color has played the character, and a step in the right direction when it comes to bringing diversity to these stories following the casting of Halle Bailey as the lead character in The Little Mermaid.
Shahidi joins a cast which includes Jude Law as Captain Hook and Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson, who will play the title characters in this reboot.
David Lowery is directing Peter Pan and Wendy based on script he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks.
The trade notes that the plan is for this film to be released theatrically rather than on Disney+ (which is where Lady and the Tramp and Mulan both ended up). Multiple attempts have been made to do something with Peter Pan since the 1953 animated version, but nothing has really come close to that classic.
Shahidi had her breakout role on the ABC sitcom Black-ish, and recently starred in the Young Adult adaptation of The Sun Is Also a Star opposite Charles Melton. This will be her biggest role to date.
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