'Come Away' Lets Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan Take Flight With Multiracial Cast

FILE PHOTO: 2019 American Cinematheque Award - Presentation - Beverly Hills, California, U.S., November 8, 2019 - David Oyelowo speaks on stage. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
FILE PHOTO: 2019 American Cinematheque Award - Presentation - Beverly Hills, California, U.S., November 8, 2019 - David Oyelowo speaks on stage. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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'Come Away' Lets Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan Take Flight With Multiracial Cast

FILE PHOTO: 2019 American Cinematheque Award - Presentation - Beverly Hills, California, U.S., November 8, 2019 - David Oyelowo speaks on stage. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
FILE PHOTO: 2019 American Cinematheque Award - Presentation - Beverly Hills, California, U.S., November 8, 2019 - David Oyelowo speaks on stage. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan are brother and sister in the new fantasy film “Come Away” that puts a new spin on two of the best-known British children’s classic stories.

And that’s not all. Both Peter and Alice are played by multi-racial young actors, with David Oyelowo playing their father and Angelina Jolie playing their mother in turn of the 20th century England.

“They are iconic characters in beloved fairy tales, but we’ve never seen them put together,” said Oyelowo, best known for playing American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, in “Selma.”

“These are fictional fantasy characters that race is not something that is tied to their representation on film,” he added.

“I think there are far more people who are going to celebrate what we do in this film than the few and small voices who take umbrage with it.”

“Come Away” is released in US movie theaters on Friday and in the UK on Dec 4, Reuters reported.

Director Brenda Chapman said she was initially looking to cast a white man in the role, until Oyelowo’s name came up.

“This is something new. And it opens up the world to so many more people (by making) these characters more relatable,” said Chapman, who described herself as a middle-aged white woman.

Keira Chansa said the chance to play the young Alice was refreshing.

“I’ve always watched the films and read the books, and it was always a white girl,” she said.

“So to be able to experience it, to be somebody who looks like me, is a big change in the world and makes a big difference.”



New 'Superman' Muscles to $122 Million at US, Canada Box Office

New 'Superman' Muscles to $122 Million at US, Canada Box Office
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New 'Superman' Muscles to $122 Million at US, Canada Box Office

New 'Superman' Muscles to $122 Million at US, Canada Box Office

A new "Superman" movie from Warner Bros hauled in $122 million at box offices in the United States and Canada over the weekend, a strong debut that kicked off a new era for DC comic book heroes on the big screen.

The movie that introduces David Corenswet as the Man of Steel added $95 million in international markets for a global total of $217 million through Sunday, Warner Bros said on Sunday.

"Superman" is a reboot of the movie franchise based on the hero who debuted in comic books in 1938. The film's performance is critical to the future of Warner Bros and its DC Studios division.

Despite a stable of iconic characters including Batman and Wonder Woman, DC has not been able to match the blockbuster box office power of Walt Disney's Marvel superhero films.

The new "Superman" was written and directed by James Gunn, the filmmaker known for three offbeat "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies for Marvel. Gunn was tapped as co-CEO of DC Studios in 2022, alongside producer Peter Safran, and billed as the hero who could bring consistent success to its film and TV projects.