According to Deadline, the Grown-ish star will play the beloved fairy and Peter Pan’s closest friend in David Lowery’s Peter Pan and Wendy.
Shahidi as Tinker Bell follows Halle Bailey’s upcoming role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid live-action, hopefully hinting at a change for more diversity in Disney films.
"The stories we tell on TV shape how we see ourselves in others, and how we are seen can many times determine how we are treated," she said during the 2020 Emmys, according to Entertainment Weekly. "The dream of television is the freedom to live our full and nuanced lives outside of boxes and assumptions. We continue to strive for a more complete definition of inclusivity."
In a post featuring a fan’s artistic interpretation of her forthcoming role, Shahidi said, “Thank you for all of the love. It truly means so much to me 💕🧚🏽♂️ I’m excited for this next adventure!”
Yara Shahidi joins Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes) as Captain Hook, Ever Anderson (Black Widow) as Wendy and 12-year-old Alexander Molony as Peter Pan. Peter Pan and Wendy is directed and co-written by David Lowery (The Green Knight) alongside Toby Halbrooks (Pete’s Dragon), and produced by Jim Whitaker (A Wrinkle In Time).
According to the above Deadline report, there’s no word on a release date but Disney is planning to release it in theatres instead of exclusively on Disney Plus.
