At this point, Steven Spielberg no longer has to prove to anyone that he is one of the best directors of our time. For many years he shapes Hollywood cinema like hardly any other filmmaker. And with The Fabelmans he recently delivered his very personal declaration of love to the cinema.
The film world loves Spielberg, no question about it. This makes the director behind masterpieces like Jurassic Park and West Side Story even more critical of himself. In recent years he has had various… He critically examines films from his own work. This includes, among others, the fantasy adventure Hook from 1991, which is shown on ZDFneo on Friday evenings.
Big fantasy film by Steven Spielberg on TV: Hook is a Peter Pan sequel starring Robin Williams
Hook comes up with an exciting premise that expands on the familiar Peter Pan story. At the beginning of the film we don’t get to know Peter Pan as a boy floats carefree through the air. Instead, Robin Williams embodies a much older and adult version of the legendary fantasy hero.
You can watch the trailer for Hook here:
Hook – Trailer (English) HD
The Peter Pan in Hook has started a family and lives in London. He is a father, husband and lawyer. Not a good-humored guy who throws himself headlong into an adventure without thinking about it consequences of his actions to think about. But here we come to the crux of the matter: Peter is caught up in his past.
As Peter’s memories of his childhood fade, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) returns from Neverland to take part in his life to avenge his former archenemy. Before Peter knows it, Hook kidnaps his children. One last time he has to venture to that place where there are no limits to his imagination.
Despite all his blockbuster experience: Steven Spielberg didn’t know what he was doing in the fantasy adventure Hook
Although Spielberg prefers to move into sci-fi rather than fantasy realms, Hook contains many elements that also appear in his other films. Amazed eyes are just as much a part of this as the confrontation of adults with something fantastic, a miracle. Hook connects seamlessly with films like ET – The Extra-Terrestrial.
Nevertheless, the fantasy film was with mixed reactions received by critics and audiences. Although the film grossed a whopping $300 million on a budget of $70 million (via Box Office Mojo ), it’s rarely mentioned in the same breath as Spielberg’s major films these days.
Sony
Hook
Spielberg himself doesn’t like to remember the filming experience – even though he fascinated by Peter Pan since childhood was. His film became concrete for the first time in the 1980s. The first thing happened in February 1991. Less than a year later, in December 1991, Hook opened in US cinemas.
Six years ago, Spielberg admitted that he didn’t know exactly what he was doing during production, as can be read on Den of Geek.
The director explained at the time:
Hook made me feel like a fish out of water. I had no confidence in the script, just the first act and the epilogue, but not the rest of the film. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, and tried to cover up my insecurities with production values. The more unsure I became, the bigger and more colorful the sets became.
There is also an unfortunate collaboration with Julia Roberts, who was seen in the role of Tinkerbell in Hook. In an edition of 60 Minutes, Spielberg was disappointed with Roberts after the filming. She in turn revealed to Vanity Fair in a 1993 interview that she supported Spielberg’s statements very hit and hurt have.
Fantasy adventures on TV: When is Spielberg’s Hook on?
Hook runs on March 29, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. on ZDFneo. The broadcast takes place without commercial breaks and therefore lasts until 10:25 p.m. If you would prefer to watch the film streamed, you can currently do so on Netflix.