Never Say Never Again

If you were walking to work on a Monday morning and, say, fell headfirst into a ditch, you'd probably learn to walk on the other side of the street come Tuesday. Similarly, when Dustin Hoffman was handed the script to Peter Pan project, Neverland, it wouldn't have been too big a leap for him to have cast a thought back to 1991's Hook and run for the hills as if his very life depended on it. While sense would dictate a hasty retreat and anyone who found themselves lobotomised by Spielberg's asinine interpretation of JM Barrie's fairy tale would have begged him to step away from the screenplay with his both hands in clear sight, Hoffman has launched into negotiations to give the story one more try. Joining Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and Jason Isaacs, Hoffman would play Charles Frohman, one of Barrie's close friends and producer of his work. The film's story follows the real-life origins of Peter Pan, written in the nineteenth century and inspired by Barrie's relationship with four fatherless children who lived next door. Directed by Monster's Ball helmer Marc Forster, the film's less fantastical approach may yet prove to be a winner, especially considering the impressive cast. But then again, an A-list line-up didn't stop Spielberg's effort from making audiences wish they were the ones being eaten by a crocodile.