Peter Pan & Wendy: Yara Shahidi 'drawn' to playing Tinker Bell despite backlash

Yara Shahidi opened up about the importance of her Tinker Bell role in Disney's live-action movie Peter Pan & Wendy.

Speaking to Byrdie, the Grown-ish star expressed that she was "drawn" to the character after finding out the reason why the movie’s director David Lowery and Disney executives wanted to reimagine the J.M. Barrie novel as well as the animated film, which was released in 1853.

"They wanted to bring some new fun to this classic but also give us the fairy tale we deserve." she said. 

"It’s evident they’re not just popping Black and Brown folks in the cast for the sake of updating the story. Instead, it’s about creating a story that so many more people can see themselves in after we’ve been left out for so long."

Shahidi also touched upon the criticism she took after it was revealed that a black actor will be playing the role of Tinker Bell, emphasising that casting a person of colour to act an originally white character does not take away from the story.

"I think oftentimes people think of diversity and inclusion as threatening or jeopardizing the quality of the story, instead of seeing how beautifully they can be interwoven together to create something that impacts even more people, that lets even more people into stories that we love," she said while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month.

Peter Pan & Wendy is scheduled to release on April 28 on Disney+. 

Peter Pan & Wendy's synopsis

Wendy Darling, who is scared to leave her childhood home, ends up meeting Peter Pan, a magical boy who does not let himself get old.

"Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland," the synopsis states.

"There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever."

The case includes Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Molly Parker, Alan Tudyk, and Jim Gaffigan.