Peter Pan / Alice in Wonderland prequel in the works

Brenda Chapman will direct Come Away, a live-action prequel to Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
According to Deadline, Chapman will work from a script penned by Marissa Kate Goodhill, with Leesa Kahn, Michelle Manning and Andrea Keir all on board as producers.
Having previously worked on animated features such as Disney/Pixar’s 2012 hit Brave, for which she became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and DreamWorks’ 1998 flick The Prince of Egypt – this will be the first live-action movie Chapman has directed. The 53-year-old has also worked on animated staples such as Chicken Run, Shrek, The Little Mermaid, along with Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
“I had never really considered directing live-action – animation has always been my genre,” she explained to Deadline. “But when I read Marissa’s fantastical script, I felt that little tingly feeling run up my spine. I thought, ‘Wow! I’ve changed my mind. I want to do this.’ ”
Serving as a prequel, Come Away takes place before Alice travels to Wonderland and Peter becomes Pan, and lays the groundwork for those iconic adventures. As siblings, Peter and Alice seek to rescue their parents from the despair that shakes their family after their older brother tragically dies. Ultimately, the pair must decide between their imagination and home.
Despite the groundbreaking concept, the film’s producers are all on board with the merging of the two beloved tales and are confident in Chapman’s vision.
“Brenda is a true visionary and her previous experience in perfectly creating imaginary worlds with such precise detail is exactly what is needed to bring to life Marissa’s enchanting script, which explores the universal theme of the importance of family,” the producers said in a statement.
Last month (Apr16), it was reported that Disney is developing a live-action adaptation of Peter Pan, following Warner Bros.’ critically panned Pan, their take on the tale of boy who couldn’t age, which debuted last year (15).