''Hook'' is a 1991 American
adventure film
An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, ani ...
directed by
Steven Spielberg and written by
James V. Hart
James V. Hart (born 1950) is an American screenwriter and author. He is known for his literary adaptations, such as ''Dracula'', ''Frankenstein'' and ''Hook''.
Career Writing
Hart wrote the screenplay to the Steven Spielberg feature film ''Hook' ...
and
Malia Scotch Marmo. It stars
Robin Williams as
Peter Banning / Peter Pan,
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood
The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American ...
as
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capt ...
,
Julia Roberts as
Tinker Bell,
Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...
as
Mr. Smee
Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy''.
History
Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; Ba ...
, and
Maggie Smith as
Granny Wendy. It acts as a sequel of sorts to
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...
's 1911 novel ''
Peter and Wendy
''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous l ...
'' focusing on an adult Peter Pan who has forgotten all about his childhood. In his new life, he is known as Peter Banning, a successful but unimaginative and workaholic lawyer with a wife (Wendy's granddaughter) and two children. However, when Captain Hook, the enemy of his past, kidnaps his children, he returns to
Neverland to save them. Along the journey, he reclaims the memories of his past and becomes a better person.
Spielberg began developing ''Hook'' in the early 1980s with
Walt Disney Productions and
Paramount Pictures, which would have followed the Peter Pan storyline seen in the 1924
silent film and 1953
animated Disney film. It entered
pre-production in 1985, but Spielberg abandoned the project. Hart developed the script with director
Nick Castle and
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
before Spielberg decided to direct in 1989. It was shot almost entirely on
sound stages at
Sony Pictures Studios in
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
.
Released on December 11, 1991, ''Hook'' received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances (particularly those of Robin Williams and Hoffman), John Williams' musical score, and production values, but criticized the screenplay and tone. Although it was a commercial success, its box office take was lower than expected. Despite its five nominations at the
64th Academy Awards
The 64th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1991 in the United States and took place on March 30, 1992, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles begi ...
, Spielberg came to be disappointed with ''Hook''. Nevertheless, it has gained a strong
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
since its release, and spawned merchandise, including
video games,
action figures
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually markete ...
, and comic book adaptations.
Plot
Successful
San Francisco corporate lawyer
A corporate lawyer or corporate counsel is a type of lawyer who specializes in corporate law. Corporate lawyers working inside and for corporations are called in-house counsel.
Roles and responsibilities
The role of a corporate lawyer is to ...
Peter Banning is a
workaholic, straining his relationship with his wife Moira and their children Jack and Maggie. After promising to attend at least one of Jack's baseball games but missing the entire season, Peter flies with his disappointed family to
London to visit Moira's grandmother,
Wendy Darling
Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1904 play and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy'' by J. M. Barrie, as well as in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the origina ...
. In London, Peter, Moira and Wendy attend a charity dinner in Wendy's honor at the
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospita ...
, leaving the children with Wendy's old friend
Tootles and housekeeper Liza. Upon returning, they find the house burglarized and the children missing, along with a ransom note signed by
Captain James Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captai ...
. Peter involves the authorities, but they are unable to help, and Wendy insists that only he can save Jack and Maggie, as he is really
Peter Pan; Peter refuses to believe her.
Later, in the nursery, he encounters
Tinker Bell, who brings him to
Neverland. She drops Peter into Hook's pirate haven, where he reveals himself to
Smee
Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy''.
History
Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; B ...
and Hook. Surprised to see how weak and old Peter has become, Hook challenges him to fly and rescue his children, preparing to execute him when he fails. Tinker Bell intervenes and persuades Hook to release Peter instead, promising to train him for battle over the next three days and give him the fight he desires. Peter is then taken to the hideout of the
Lost Boys, now led by Rufio. The boys mock Peter, but eventually recognize and train him, encouraging him to use the power of imagination to help restore his memory and abilities. One boy, Thud Butt, gives Peter an old bag of marbles belonging to former Lost Boy Tootles.
Meanwhile, Hook laments that he will not have true revenge on Peter, until Smee suggests they manipulate the Banning children into switching sides. This plan fails with Maggie, but Jack is swayed due to Peter's repeated broken promises. During a training challenge to steal Hook's prosthetic namesake, Peter witnesses Jack playing in a baseball game Hook has arranged. Dismayed to see Jack treating Hook as a father figure, Peter returns to the Lost Boys' camp with renewed determination. After seeing his shadow move independently, Peter follows it and discovers the original treehouse where Wendy and her brothers once stayed. Inside, Tinker Bell helps Peter remember how he was lost as an infant in the early 1900s, brought by her to Neverland, had many adventures, and first met the Darlings. He also recalls frequently visiting Wendy after the Darlings returned to London, until Wendy grew too old to go back. Although heartbroken, Peter then fell in love with Wendy's granddaughter Moira and chose to stay, due to his desire to become a father. He became adopted by the Bannings, but at the cost of his memories.
Recalling Jack's birth is the strong, happy thought that restores Peter's ability to fly, bringing him back as Peter Pan. Rufio turns his
sword over to Peter in reverence and the Lost Boys celebrate. That night, Tinker Bell professes her love for Peter with a kiss. However, Peter still chooses his family and professes his love for Moira. Although heartbroken by his rejection, Tinker Bell accepts this and encourages him to go save his children.
The next day, Peter and the Lost Boys fight Hook and his pirates while Jack watches. Hook's crew eventually surrenders, but Rufio duels Hook and is fatally wounded. With his dying breath, Rufio wishes he could have had a father like Peter. Jack comes to his senses and reconciles with his father. In the ensuing fight, Peter defeats Hook, who is devoured by the reanimated corpse of the
taxidermied Crocodile
Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant mem ...
. Tinker Bell takes Jack and Maggie back to London, and Peter appoints Thud Butt as his successor.
Peter awakens in
Kensington Gardens. Tinker Bell appears and bids a tearful farewell to Peter before departing. Reuniting with his family at Wendy's house, Peter decides to devote more time to them. He also returns Tootles' bag of marbles; Tootles joyfully sprinkles himself with pixie dust from it and flies away. As the family watches Tootles return to Neverland, Wendy remarks to Peter that his adventures are truly over; Peter counters that "to live would be an awfully big adventure".
Cast
*
Robin Williams as
Peter Banning / Peter Pan
** Ryan Francis as preteen Peter Pan
** Max Hoffman as young Peter Pan
** Matthew Van Ginkel as baby Peter Pan
*
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood
The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American ...
as
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capt ...
*
Julia Roberts as
Tinker Bell
**
Lisa Wilhoit
''My So-Called Life'' is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995. It is distributed by The B ...
as Tinker Bell in a flashback in which Peter is a baby
*
Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...
as
Smee
Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy''.
History
Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; B ...
/ Sweeper in Kensington Gardens
*
Maggie Smith as
Granny Wendy
**
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...
as teenage Wendy Darling
*
Charlie Korsmo
Charles Randolph Korsmo (born July 20, 1978) is an American lawyer and actor. He is best known for portraying the Kid from the film adaption of ''Dick Tracy'' and Jack Banning in ''Hook''.
Personal life and acting work
Korsmo was born in Fargo, ...
as Jack Banning, Peter and Moira's son
*Amber Scott as Maggie Banning, Peter and Moira's daughter
*
Caroline Goodall
Caroline Cruice Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries '' Cassidy'', and the 1995 film '' Hotel Sorrento''. Her other film appearances include ...
as Moira Banning, Peter's wife and Jack and Maggie's mother
*
Dante Basco
Dante R. Basco (born August 29, 1975) is an American film, television and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielberg's ''Hook'', and Julian Lee in '' Fakin' da Funk'', and for his many vo ...
as Rufio
*
Jasen Fisher
Jasen Lee Fisher (born May 8, 1980) is an American former child actor.
Career
He made his first film appearance in '' Parenthood'' (1989) as Kevin Buckman alongside Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, receiving a nomination for a Young Artist Award as ...
as Ace
* Raushan Hammond as Thud Butt
* Isaiah Robinson as Pockets
*
James Madio as Don't Ask
*
Arthur Malet
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...
as Tootles
*
Laurel Cronin
Laurel Cronin (October 10, 1939 – October 26, 1992) was an American actress, singer and dancer.
Biography
Cronin was born on October 10, 1939, to Frank and Elizabeth Lewis. She had a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Jennifer. She maintaine ...
as Liza, Granny Wendy's maid
*
Phil Collins as Inspector Good
* Thomas Tulak as Too Small
* Alex Zuckerman as Latchboy
* Ahmad Stoner as No Nap
In addition, a number of celebrities and family members made brief credited and uncredited cameos in the film:
musicians
David Crosby and
Jimmy Buffett
James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...
,
Oscar-nominated actress
Glenn Close, and former boxer
Tony Burton
Anthony Mabron Burton (March 23, 1937 – February 25, 2016) was an American actor and boxer. He was known for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the ''Rocky'' films.
Early life
Burton was born in Flint, Michigan. He had a younger sister named ...
appear as members of Hook's pirate crew; ''
Star Wars'' director
George Lucas and actress
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the '' Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...
play the kissing couple sprinkled with
pixie dust; two of Hoffman's children,
Jacob and Rebecca, both under 10 years old during filming, briefly appeared in scenes in the "normal" world; and screenwriter
Jim Hart's 11-year-old son Jake (who years earlier inspired his father with the question, "What if Peter Pan grew up?") plays one of Pan's Lost Boys.
Production
Inspiration
Spielberg found a close personal connection to Peter Pan's story from his own childhood. The troubled relationship between Peter and Jack in the film echoed Spielberg's relationship with his own father. Previous Spielberg films that explored a dysfunctional father-son relationship included ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' and ''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action film, action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones, ''Indiana ...
''. Peter's "quest for success" paralleled Spielberg starting out as a
film director and transforming into a Hollywood
business magnate
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
. "I think a lot of people today are losing their imagination because they are work-driven. They are so self-involved with work and success and arriving at the next plateau that children and family almost become incidental. I have even experienced it myself when I have been on a very tough shoot and I've not seen my kids except on weekends. They ask for my time and I can't give it to them because I'm working."
[ Like Peter at the beginning of the film, Spielberg has a fear of flying. He feels that Peter's "enduring quality" in the storyline is simply to fly. "Anytime anything flies, whether it's Superman, Batman, or E.T., it's got to be a tip of the hat to Peter Pan," Spielberg reflected in a 1992 interview. "'' Peter Pan'' was the first time I saw anybody fly. Before I saw Superman, before I saw Batman, and of course before I saw any superheroes, my first memory of anybody flying is in ''Peter Pan''."][
]
Pre-production
The genesis of the film started when Spielberg's mother often read him ''Peter and Wendy
''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous l ...
'' as a bedtime story. He explained, in 1985, "When I was 11 years old I actually directed the story during a school production. I have always felt like Peter Pan. I still feel like Peter Pan. It has been very hard for me to grow up, I'm a victim of the Peter Pan syndrome."
In the early 1980s, Spielberg began to develop a film with Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
that would have closely followed the storyline of the 1924 silent film and 1953 animated film. He also considered directing it as a musical with Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
in the lead. Jackson expressed interest in the part, but was not interested in Spielberg's vision of an adult Peter Pan who had forgotten about his past. The project was taken to Paramount Pictures, where James V. Hart
James V. Hart (born 1950) is an American screenwriter and author. He is known for his literary adaptations, such as ''Dracula'', ''Frankenstein'' and ''Hook''.
Career Writing
Hart wrote the screenplay to the Steven Spielberg feature film ''Hook' ...
wrote the first script with Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood
The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American ...
already cast as Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capt ...
. It entered pre-production in 1985 for filming to begin at sound stages in England. Elliot Scott had been hired as production designer.[ With the birth of his first son, Max, in 1985, Spielberg decided to drop out. "I decided not to make ''Peter Pan'' when I had my first child," Spielberg commented. "I didn't want to go to London and have seven kids on wires in front of blue screens. I wanted to be home as a dad." Around this time, he considered directing '']Big
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...
'', which carried similar motifs and themes with it. In 1987, he "permanently abandoned" it, feeling he expressed his childhood and adult themes in '' Empire of the Sun''.
Meanwhile, Paramount and Hart moved forward on production with Nick Castle as director. Hart began to work on a new storyline when his son, Jake, showed his family a drawing. "We asked Jake what it was and he said it was a crocodile eating Captain Hook, but that the crocodile really didn't eat him, he got away," Hart reflected. "As it happens, I had been trying to crack ''Peter Pan'' for years, but I didn't just want to do a remake. So I went, 'Wow. Hook is not dead. The crocodile is. We've all been fooled'. In 1986, our family was having dinner and Jake said, 'Daddy, did Peter Pan ever grow up?' My immediate response was, 'No, of course not'. And Jake said, 'But what if he did?' I realized that Peter did grow up, just like all of us baby boomers
Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. ...
who are now in our forties. I patterned him after several of my friends on Wall Street, where the pirates wear three-piece suits and ride in limos
Limos (; Ancient Greek: Λιμός means 'starvation'), Roman Fames , is the "sad" goddess or god of starvation, hunger and famine in ancient Greek religion. They were opposed by Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest with whom Ovid wrote Limos ...
."
Tom Hanks was Spielberg's original choice for the role of Peter Pan.
Joseph Mazzello auditioned for the role of Jack Banning, he was turned down because he was deemed too young for the role. Mazzello was later cast as Tim Murphy in ''Jurassic Park
''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
''.
David Bowie, Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
, and Donald Sutherland were considered for Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capt ...
.
Filming
By 1989, Ian Rathbone changed the title to ''Hook'', and took it from Paramount to TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
, headed by Mike Medavoy
Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941) is an American film producer and business executive. He is the co-founder of Orion Pictures (1978), former chairman of TriStar Pictures, former head of production for United Artists (1974–1978), and t ...
, who was Spielberg's first talent agent. Robin Williams signed on, but he and Hoffman had creative differences with Castle. Medavoy saw the film as a vehicle for Spielberg and Castle was dismissed, but paid a $500,000 settlement. Dodi Fayed
Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed (; arz, عماد الدين محمد عبد المنعم الفايد, ʿImād ed-Dīn Muḥammad ʿAbd el-Munʿim el-Fāyid , 17 April 1955 – 31 August 1997), better known as Dodi Fayed ( ar, دودى ...
, who owned certain rights to make a ''Peter Pan'' film, sold his interest to TriStar in exchange for an executive producer credit. Spielberg briefly worked together with Hart to rewrite the script[ before hiring Malia Scotch Marmo to rewrite Captain Hook's dialog and ]Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the '' Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...
for Tinker Bell's. The Writers Guild of America gave Hart and Marmo screenplay credit, while Hart and Castle were credited with the story. Fisher went uncredited. Filming began on February 19, 1991, occupying nine sound stages at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
. Stage 30 housed the Neverland Lost Boys playground, while Stage 10 supplied Captain Hook's ship cabin. Hidden hydraulics
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
were installed to rock the set-piece to simulate a swaying ship, but the filmmakers found the movement distracted the dialogue, so the idea was dropped.[
Stage 27 housed the full-sized ''Jolly Roger'' and the surrounding Pirate Wharf.][DVD production notes] Industrial Light & Magic provided the visual effects sequences. This marked the beginning of Tony Swatton
Tony Swatton is a British-American blacksmith and gemcutter from Hammersmith, London, England. He is best known for creating props for films and television programmes. He was also the host of the popular webseries, ''Man at Arms''.
History
Swa ...
's career, as he was asked to make weaponry for the film. It was financed by Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions and Steven Spielberg Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshal ...
and TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
, with TriStar distributing it. Spielberg brought on John Napier as a "visual consultant", having been impressed with his work on ''Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
''. The original production budget was set at $48 million, but ended up between $60–80 million. The primary reason for the increased budget was the shooting schedule, which ran 40 days over its original 76-day schedule. Spielberg explained, "It was all my fault. I began to work at a slower pace than I usually do."
Spielberg's on-set relationship with Julia Roberts was troubled, and he later admitted in an interview with ''60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique sty ...
'', "It was an unfortunate time for us to work together." In a 1999 '' Vanity Fair'' interview, Roberts said that Spielberg's comments "really hurt my feelings." She "couldn't believe this person that I knew and trusted was actually hesitating to come to my defense...it was the first time that I felt I had a turncoat in my midst."
Soundtrack
The film score was composed and conducted by John Williams. He was brought in at an early stage when Spielberg was considering making the film as a musical. Williams wrote around eight songs with lyricist Leslie Bricusse
Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' Doc ...
for the project at this stage. Williams and Bricusse finalized it to five songs. Several of these songs were recorded and some musical segments were even filmed. Julie Andrews recorded one song, "Childhood", at the Sony Pictures Studios so that Maggie Smith could lip-sync it on set; it was meant to be sung by Granny Wendy to her grandchildren in their bedroom. Two additional songs, "Stick with Me" and "Low Below", performed by Dustin Hoffman and Bob Hoskins, respectively, were also rehearsed. These three songs were ultimately cut from the film, and instead were incorporated into the instrumental score. Two remaining songs survive in the finished film: "We Don't Wanna Grow Up" and "When You're Alone", both with lyrics by Bricusse. The track called "Prologue" as made appearances in trailers for Matilda
Matilda or Mathilda may refer to:
Animals
* Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder
* Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse
* Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
, another film by TriStar.
The original 1991 issue was released by Epic Soundtrax. In 2012, a limited edition of the soundtrack, called ''Hook: Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'', was released by La-La Land Records and Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
.[ It contains almost the complete score with alternates and unused material. It also contains liner notes that explain the film's production and score recording.
;Commercial songs from the film, but not on the soundtrack][
* "Pick'em Up" – Music by John Williams and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
* "]Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
" – Written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer
Video games
A video game based on the film and bearing the same name was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South ...
in 1991. The game was released for additional game consoles in 1992. Another game was released for PC and Commodore Amiga, and is a Point and Click adventure game.
Reception
Box office
Spielberg, Williams, and Hoffman did not take salaries for the film. Their deal called for them to split 40% of TriStar Pictures' gross revenues. They were to receive $20 million from the first $50 million in gross theatrical film rentals, with TriStar keeping the next $70 million in rentals before the three resumed receiving their percentage. The film was released in North America on December 11, 1991, earning $13.5 million in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $119.7 million in the United States and Canada and $181.2 million in foreign countries, accumulating a worldwide total of $300.9 million. It is the sixth-highest-grossing "pirate-themed" film, behind all five films in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the United States and Canada, it was the sixth-highest-grossing film in 1991, and fourth-highest-grossing worldwide. It was the second highest-grossing film in Japan with theatrical rental
A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is fre ...
s of $22.4 million. It ended up making a profit of $50 million for the studio, yet it was still declared a financial disappointment, having been overshadowed by the release of Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'' and a decline in box-office receipts compared to the previous years.
Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 29% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 66 reviews, with an average rating of 4.70/10. The site's consensus states: "The look of ''Hook'' is lively indeed but Steven Spielberg directs on autopilot here, giving in too quickly to his sentimental, syrupy qualities." On Metacritic, the film has a 52 out of 100 rating, based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicag ...
'' wrote that: Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of '' Rolling Stone'' magazine felt it would "only appeal to the baby boomer
Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. T ...
generation" and highly criticized the sword-fighting choreography. Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of '' The New York Times'' felt the story structure was not well balanced, feeling Spielberg depended too much on art direction
Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...
. Hal Hinson of '' The Washington Post'' was one of few who gave it a positive review. Hinson elaborated on crucial themes of children, adulthood, and loss of innocence. However, he said that Spielberg "was stuck too much in a theme park world".
Accolades
The film was nominated for five categories at the 64th Academy Awards
The 64th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1991 in the United States and took place on March 30, 1992, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles begi ...
. This included Best Art Direction (Norman Garwood
Norman Garwood (8 January 1946 – 13 April 2019) was an English art director, and production designer. Garwood was nominated for three Academy Awards for " Best Art Direction" for the films '' Brazil'' (1985) by Terry Gilliam; '' Glory'' (1 ...
, Garrett Lewis
Garrett Lewis (April 2, 1935 – January 29, 2013) was an American actor, dancer, and set decorator. He was nominated for four Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.
Selected filmography
Lewis has been nominated for four Academ ...
) (lost to ''Bugsy
''Bugsy'' is a 1991 American biographical crime drama film chronicling the life of American mobster Bugsy Siegel and his relationship with Virginia Hill. It is directed by Barry Levinson, written by James Toback, and stars Warren Beatty as Siege ...
''), Best Costume Design (lost to ''Bugsy''), Best Visual Effects (lost to '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day''), Best Makeup (lost to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'') and Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
(for "When You're Alone"; lost to ''Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
''). It lost the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film
The Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film is an award presented to the best film in the fantasy genre by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organ ...
to ''Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part o ...
'', in which Williams co-starred, while cinematographer Dean Cundey
Dean Raymond Cundey, A.S.C. (born March 12, 1946) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, as well as his extensive work in the horror genre, ...
was nominated for his work by the American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...
. Hoffman was nominated for the (Hoffman actually lost to his co-star Robin Williams for his performance in '' The Fisher King''). John Williams was given a Grammy Award nomination for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media; Julia Roberts received a Golden Raspberry Award
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
nomination for Worst Supporting Actress (lost to Sean Young
Mary Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. She is particularly known for working in sci-fi films, although she has performed roles in a variety of genres.
Young's early roles include the independent romance '' Jane Aust ...
as the dead twin in '' A Kiss Before Dying'').
Legacy
In years since the release of the film, Steven Spielberg admitted in interviews that he was not proud of the film and disappointed with the final result. In 2011, he told '' Entertainment Weekly'': "There are parts of ''Hook'' I love. I'm really proud of my work right up through Peter being hauled off in the parachute out the window, heading for Neverland. I'm a little less proud of the Neverland sequences because I'm uncomfortable with that highly stylized world that today, of course, I would probably have done with live-action character work inside a completely digital set. But we didn't have the technology to do it then, and my imagination only went as far as building physical sets and trying to paint trees blue and red." Spielberg gave a more blunt assessment in a 2013 interview on Kermode & Mayo's Film Review Show: "I wanna see ''Hook'' again because I so don't like that movie, and I'm hoping someday I'll see it again and perhaps like some of it."
In 2018, Spielberg told ''Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'', "I felt like a fish out of water making ''Hook''... I didn't have confidence in the script. I had confidence in the first act and I had confidence in the epilogue. I didn't have confidence in the body of it." He added, "I didn't quite know what I was doing and I tried to paint over my insecurity with production value," admitting "the more insecure I felt about it, the bigger and more colorful the sets became."
In a 2020 interview with Collider Games, actor Dante Basco
Dante R. Basco (born August 29, 1975) is an American film, television and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielberg's ''Hook'', and Julian Lee in '' Fakin' da Funk'', and for his many vo ...
revealed that he's working on an animated prequel series about his character Rufio.
John Williams' musical score was particularly praised and is considered by many as one of his best.
See also
* List of films featuring miniature people
References
Bibliography
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External links
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* Sony Imagesoft's
* Ocean's
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hook (Film)
Peter Pan films
1991 films
1990s English-language films
1990s adventure comedy films
1990s fantasy comedy films
American children's adventure films
American adventure comedy films
American fantasy adventure films
American fantasy comedy films
Compositions by Leslie Bricusse
Films scored by John Williams
Films about amputees
Films about child abduction
Films about fairies and sprites
Films about lawyers
Films directed by Steven Spielberg
Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy
Films produced by Frank Marshall
Films set in London
Films set in San Francisco
Films set on airplanes
Films shot in California
Films shot in London
Films shot in Los Angeles
Films about mermaids
Pirate films
Amblin Entertainment films
TriStar Pictures films
Films produced by Gerald R. Molen
Films adapted into comics
American swashbuckler films
Films about families
1990s Christmas films
American Christmas films
1990s fantasy adventure films
1991 comedy films
Films about father–son relationships
1990s American films