‘I had no confidence in the script’: Spielberg is ashamed to have made this fantastic film, which was still a phenomenal success 34 years ago.

Among the many masterpieces that mark Steven Spielberg’s career, one film seems to leave a bitter aftertaste despite its impressive success. It’s Hook or Captain Hook’s Revenge, a reimagining of the Peter Pan universe that was released more than three decades ago. However, Spielberg still admits his discomfort with the film today.

For years, the filmmaker has preferred to avoid talking about the project in question, even with lead actor Robin Williams. It was only in 2011, at the time of the interview Entertainment Weeklythat he expressed a lack of satisfaction. He said that while he liked the first part of the film, especially before the scene where Peter was taken to Neverland, he was much less enthusiastic about the sequel. Spielberg specifically explains that Neverland’s very distinct style didn’t suit him.

“There are parts of the hook that I love. I’m very proud of my work until Peter parachutes out of the window and into Neverland. I’m a little less proud of the Neverland sequences because I’m not comfortable in that highly stylized world, whereas today, of course, I’d probably do it with live-action characters in an all-digital environment. But we didn’t have the technology for that at the time, and my imagination was limited to creating a physical set and trying to paint the trees blue and red.“

scenario Hook Following Peter Bunning (Robin Williams), a businessman who must return to Neverland to rescue his children kidnapped by Captain Hook, played by Dustin Hoffman. With the help of Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) and the Lost Boys, he must regain his childhood spirit and memories of Peter Pan.

A movie you can’t watch

in the following years, Steven Spielberg He did not hide his disappointment with the film. In 2013, on the radio show “Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review”, he said he had found it Hook It’s hard to see again, and he hoped one day he could appreciate it more: “I want to see Hook again. I still don’t like this movie. I hope to watch it again one day and maybe enjoy parts of it.“

At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Spielberg also shared his feelings when asked about a possible connection between them. Hook and his new film The BGG – The Good Big Giant. He then emphasized their differences and reiterated that he had no special love HookUnlike his children, who love the film, as well as an entire generation of young (and not so young) viewers. said see Hook not like “a fairy tale“, but “A huge tale in technicolor about amnesia, the recovery of memory, and therefore childhood“.

“I hope it has nothing to do with Hook. I hope it’s different. Hopefully it’s much better than Hook. Like I said, it’s interesting because I don’t really like Hook, but my kids love this movie. And there’s a whole generation of young people who really appreciated the film beyond what I put into it.“

Feeling insecure on the set

It was only in 2018, in an interview with Empire (via Geek’s Den), that Steven Spielberg He went further in his analysis and spoke frankly about his discomfort during filming: “I felt like a fish out of water Hook. I had no confidence in the script. I had confidence in the first act and the epilogue. I had no confidence in the essence of the script. I didn’t really know what I was doing and tried to cover up my insecurities by focusing on production. The more vulnerable I felt, the bigger and more colorful the sets became.“

He would also have a “difficult experience” on set with Julia Roberts…

despite everything Hook was a huge commercial success, grossing over $300 million at the box office on a $70 million budget. Perhaps this burst of color and this artisanal side helped make this film an unforgettable childhood memory for many viewers that continues to fascinate young people today.

Hook or Revenge of Captain Hook is available on VOD.