After two years of keeping audiences waiting for the horror twist on J.M. Barrie’s classic character, Scott Jeffrey has confirmed the Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare release window. The upcoming movie marks the third installment in the interconnected Twisted Childhood Universe that began with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its 2022 sequel. Neverland Nightmare‘s cast is led by Megan Placito as Wendy Darling, whose brother is kidnapped by the malevolent Peter Pan and his associate Tinker Bell, a murderous pair who promise to take children to Neverland, where they’ll never age.
Just shy of a month after the first trailer was released for the film, Jeffrey was asked about Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare‘s release date during a recent Q&A on Instagram. Responding to a fan’s question about rumors of a Halloween 2024 release date for the film, the writer/director/producer debunked these reports while confirming that the movie will hit theaters sometime in early 2025, though was tight-lipped about a more specific window or date for when it will release. Check out Jeffrey’s post below:
What This Means For Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Release
The TCU Is Looking For A Box Office Threepeat
Though it’s unclear why the movie has yet to land an exact release date, the more likely reason is that Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare seemingly has not yet secured a distributor. With Blood & Honey‘s Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Jeffrey holding on to the rights to the franchise, the first two movies were released by Altitude Film Distribution, and given the success the Winnie-the-Pooh movies enjoyed at the box office, it’s possible they’ll stick with the same company for releasing their twist on Peter Pan.
The biggest thing for Jeffrey and co. now becomes determining the best possible release date for Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. Both Winnie-the-Pooh installments were released in March of their respective years in the U.S., and while the domestic haul may have been the lower of the international numbers, they’ve still ultimately contributed to the movies making their budgets back at the box office. Check out how both Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey movies compared at the domestic and international box offices in the chart below:
Title | Domestic Box Office | Int. Box Office | Total Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey | $2.083 Million | $5.63 Million | $7.72 Million |
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II | $533,144 | $7.05 Million | $7.58 Million |
In looking ahead to March 2025, it does seem a risky move for Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare to follow in its TCU predecessors’ footsteps considering the major releases coming out then. The month will kick off with Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film Sinners, and while the following week will have more modest releases before the debut of the Rachel Zegler-led Snow White live-action remake, the fact that the TCU has so far enjoyed more limited releases means going up against a stacked weekend will be risky for Neverland Nightmare.
Our Take On Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Release Window
The Movie Should Aim For A Wider Release To Capitalize On The TCU’s Past Success
While the month of March seems like both a risky move and prime real estate for the next TCU venture to debut, I think Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare should still look to release that month in 2025, but should do so if it made plans for a wider release. A limited release rollout is certainly good for ensuring that producers and studios don’t have to split too much money between theaters and marketing firms to promote the releases, but with something that has the viral backing of the TCU, it may be time for Jeffrey and co. to experiment with wider releases.
Source: Scott Jeffrey/Instagram
