Watch out Harry Potter. There’s another with a prior claim to the moniker, “the boy who lived.” Not only does he never grow old, Peter Pan is a timeless classic. Starting in his 1902 novel Little White Bird, J.M. Barrie merely mentions Peter Pan. In fact, not until a successful 1904 play production did Barrie consider the the wonder of Pan. Subsequently he publishes Peter and Wendy in 1911. Not only have we seen numerous film adaptations over the span of the last 100+ years, with an even newer release coming out on October 9, 2015, there’s the book series Peter and The Starcatchers, the cartoon show Jake and the Never Land Pirates and the franchise around Tinkerbell and her fairies.

peter pan

Disney isn’t the only organization keeping the Peter Pan spirit alive. While Disney appeals to the younger generation, the older generation takes pleasure in conspiracy theories. For example, Hook as the good guy. Based on this quote, “The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two.” The theory is Pan kills the lost boys when they hit puberty. Hook and his gang of pirates escaped Pan’s wrath and hope to rescue these children from death. Think about that one for a minute.

There’s another sweeter theory that Neverland is Heaven. Pan is an angel who holds the children’s hand as they make their ascent. The reason he claims they are immortal in Neverland is because they’re already dead. This theory can also be the result of the death of Barrie’s younger brother. At the age of 13 Barrie would tell people his brother had gone to “Neverland”. Religion aside, a place of immortality with fairies, mermaids and sword fights sounds cool. Sign us up, please!

Whether you loved the Disney movie growing up or you enjoy coming up with twisted theories, it’s no wonder how the Peter Pan fad has lived and grown for so long. From a single book to a multi-million dollar name, the legacy of Pan and the Lost Boys will forever hold and captivate our hearts. If you’re interested in watching one of the many different movies or reading from an even greater selection of books, give us a call and we’ll check our shelves. If you haven’t read the book, you must! Or try the new series. All will validate why this classic has kept up with the times and our hearts.