Pan (2015 film)

when actress Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily it caused controversy due to claims of whitewashing she since regretted the role in February 2016.

When Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily, it caused controversy and accusations of cultural appropriation due to her being of European ancestry, while Tiger Lily is traditionally portrayed as a Native American.[21] Also considered for the role of Tiger Lily were actresses Lupita Nyong'o and Adèle Exarchopoulos.[22]

According to critics of the casting there are very few main roles for Native American women in Hollywood, and that the choice not only took one away from a Native American actress, but also perpetuated the invisibility of Native Americans in film.[23][24] While the film was being cast, an article in TheWrap stated that director Joe Wright was trying to create a "very international and multi-racial" world.[25] However, the majority of the main characters in the film (including the four lead actors) are white.[26] A petition was created in response to the casting to urge Warner Bros. studios to stop casting white actors in roles for people of color.[27] Previous portrayals of the Piccaninny tribe in Peter Pan have been criticized as racist.[28]

Critics of the casting in Pan suggested that Warner Bros. may have wanted to avoid repeating the alleged racism of previous Peter Pan stories, by altering the ethnicity of the Piccaninnies, rather than using a stereotypical portrayal of the source material.[28]

In a February 2016 interview, Mara stated that she regretted playing Tiger Lily (a Native American character) in Pan saying: "I really hate, hate, hate that I am on that side of the whitewashing conversation. I really do. I don't ever want to be on that side of it again. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated....Do I think all of the four main people in the film should have been white with blonde hair and blue eyes? No. I think there should have been some diversity somewhere."[29]

On April 28, 2014, the film's principal photography began.[30] Many natural scenes in the film were from Son Doong Cave, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park and Ninh Bình Province in Vietnam. The captured scenes were then graphically edited into the film.

Pan was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on December 22, 2015, by Warner Home Video, two-and-a-half months after the film's release. Pan was one of the first Ultra HD Blu-rays, released on March 1, 2016.

Pan was financially unsuccessful.[39] It grossed $35.1 million in North America and $93.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $128.3 million. In comparison, its production budget was reported to be $150 million, and the total spent on marketing was estimated at $100–125 million.[6][40][41]

In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $5.2 million on its opening day. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $15.3 million, below the studio's $20 million projection, and finished third at the box office.[42] Several factors have been attributed to the financial failure of Pan. Forbes blogger Scott Mendelson attributed this to the absence of notable movie stars. Despite the presence of Jackman, "like any number of would-be big stars who are best known for a certain franchise, his opening weekend strength dips when he's not playing his trademark character." Outside of the X-Men films, his biggest openings are Van Helsing ($51 million) and the $27 million debuts of Real Steel and Les Misérables.[43] Variety described the departure of the film in tone and writings that made earlier Peter Pan stories and films a success, from Jackman's role as Blackbeard to the inclusion of contemporary pop songs from Nirvana and the Ramones which is peculiar for a children's film adaptation. "Without the Disney seal of approval, audiences are a bit wary of these fairy tale adaptations," said Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations. He added, "It veered off the Peter Pan path quite extensively and it was just too far left of center for a generation that grew up with Hook and sees that as the definitive account."[44] Warner Bros. declined to discuss Pan's box office results.[44][41]

Pan also struggled internationally, grossing $20.4 million on its opening weekend from 54 markets from over 11,000 screens. 3D comprised 85% of the opening gross.[40][45] The film was released in Australia on September 24, 2015, to take advantage of the prime September school holidays, where it grossed $1.5 million in its opening weekend.[37] Elsewhere, it opened in the U.K. with $4.1 million, and No. 1 in Mexico ($2.9 million), Brazil ($1.8 million), Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and No. 2 in Russia and the CIS with $2 million (behind The Martian), Spain with $1.7 million (behind Regression), Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines.[45][46]

The Hollywood Reporter estimated that the film cost $275 million to produce and market worldwide—while The New York Times reported at least $250 million—and noted that the financial losses by Warner Bros. could finish anywhere between $130 to $150 million.[40][41] The site suggested that if the film overperformed in China—the world's second largest movie market—the losses could have been lower.[40] Opening in China on October 22, 2015, it failed to meet expectations.[47] Based on its production cost and factoring in the percentage of ticket sales kept by theater owners, analysts estimated that Pan needed to take in at least $400–500 million worldwide to break even.[41][47] The financial loss incurred by Pan puts it alongside Tomorrowland and Jupiter Ascending as one of the biggest box office failures of 2015.[44]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 27% based on 197 reviews and an average rating of 4.59/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Pan finds a few bursts of magic in its prequel treatment of classic characters, though not enough to offset the rushed plot and shrill, CGI-fueled action."[48] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 36 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[49] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[50]

A.O. Scott of The New York Times called the action scenes "murky and chaotic" and stated, "The dominant emotion in Pan is the desperation of the filmmakers, who frantically try to pander to a young audience they don’t seem to respect, understand or trust."[51] The main characters lacked chemistry and depth according to Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter, who added that with the exception of Levi Miller's Pan, "the characters don't reasonably comport with one's pre-existing images of them".[52] He also called a good portion of the film "a seriously extended chase that possesses hefty CGI-propelled dynamics but absolutely no suspense and a very limited sense of fun".[52] Andrew Barker of Variety praised the film's technical achievements and action sequences but found it depressing overall: "Pan swaps puckish mischief and innocence for doses of Steampunk design, anachronistic music, a stock “chosen one” narrative and themes of child labor, warfare and unsustainable mineral mining exchanges".[53]

In a more positive review, Bill Zwecker of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling Levi Miller "a truly wonderful cinematic discovery" and adding that the film is "chock-full with thrilling action sequences, vivid costumes and well-executed special effects".[54]

In a 2017 interview while promoting his film Darkest Hour, Wright said he almost quit directing following the box office failure of Pan.[55] He said:

“I had just made this $100 million flop. It was a dark, difficult time. I didn’t know if I was going to make any more movies, I didn’t know that I wanted to make movies anymore, to be honest.”.