Trivia for
Hook (1991) More at IMDbPro »

• In 1985, composer John Williams and lyricist Leslie Bricusse worked on "Hook", being a stage musical, but the project was scrapped after about ten songs were written. Only one song from the play, "When You're Alone," made it to the film. However, many of the play' themes can be heard in Williams' incidental music for the film.
  
  
• Bob Hoskins bought beer for 300+ extras after a lengthy and complicated scene was cut.
  
  
• There were frequent good-natured "battle of wits" exchanges between Williams and Hoffman. In one incident, Hoffman was not happy with his performance and asked for the scene to be re-shot. Williams quipped "Try acting": a reference to the Hoffman / Laurence Olivier exchange on the set of Marathon Man (1976).
  
  
• Because Tinkerbell was often in the air, Julia Roberts had an assistant whose sole responsibility was cleaning her feet.
  
  
• Smee says "Goooooooood morning Neverland!", a reference to Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987).
  
  
• When Tootles floats out the window at the end, he says "Seize the Day", which has significance for Robin Williams, who starred in Seize the Day (1986), and Dead Poets Society (1989) (in which this was a catchphrase).
  
  
• When the Bannings fly to England, the pilot's voice is that of Dustin Hoffman (Captain Hook) - "This is your captain speaking..."
  
  
• The young Peter Pan is played by Dustin Hoffman's son.
  
  
• Dustin Hoffman's three children make appearances in the movie. His youngest son, Max Hoffman plays 5 year-old Peter Pan. His daughter, Rebecca Hoffman plays Jane in the play at the beginning of the movie, and his oldest son, Jake Hoffman plays a little league player in Jack's baseball game.
  
  
• Writer James V. Hart credits the inspiration for his take on this continuing Peter Pan story to his young son Jake who one day asked him what would have happened if Peter Pan grew up.
  
  
• Carrie Fisher did some uncredited rewriting on the final draft of the screenplay.
  
  
• Carrie Fisher was Steven Spielberg's original prototype for Tinkerbell.
  
  
• Captain Hook's actual hook was largely designed by Steven Spielberg, production designer Norman Garwood and Amblin's prop master Mark Wade. Burbank blacksmith Tony Swatton was then charged with physically crafting several versions. Some of them though were made of rubber for Dustin Hoffman's fight scenes.
  
  
• The teddy bear from Captain Hook's cabin was accidentally given to Julia Roberts by Steven Spielberg when she checked in to hospital for nervous exhaustion. Spielberg realized his mistake the night before he was due to shoot a scene in Hook's cabin, and the prop department had to rustle up a look-alike in a matter of hours.
  
  
• The names of the original lost boys appear on the door to Wendy's house.
  
  
• The pirate shut in the chest with the scorpion was played by Glenn Close.
  
  
• The kissing couple who begin to float when some fairy dust lands on them are actually George Lucas and Carrie Fisher in a cameo.
  
  
• One of the pirates who attempts to steal Peter's shoes when he first arrives in Neverland is played by singer Jimmy Buffett.
  
  
• Steven Spielberg admitted to being disappointed with final result of the movie.
  
  
• Both Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams's stunt doubles were named Keith. When Steven Spielberg called for Keith to come to the set, both Keith's showed up. Eventually, Hoffman's stunt double changed his name from Keith to Keifo.
  
  
• Robin Williams’s upper body and arms were shaved for his role in the film.
  
  
• As he prepares to face Hook, Peter tells his Lost Boys, "It's hook or me this time." This is the name of one of the chapters in the play, "Peter and Wendy."
  
  
• As Wendy leaves the nursery (before the kids are taken) she recites a prayer ("Nightlights, watch over my sleeping babes..." etc.) from the play "Peter and Wendy".
  
  
• The original "Peter Pan" included only six Lost Boys (Slightly, Tootles, Nibs, Curly, and the unnamed Twins).The unnamed twins appear in the imaginary food scene.
  
  
• Jack was the name of one of the boys original author J.M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan for (and later became the adopted father of). The five boys were George, Jack, Nicholas, Peter, and Michael Davies.
  
  
• In the film, Captain Hook's "hook" is where his left hand was before a crocodile bit it off. In the play, "Peter and Wendy", his hook is where his right hand used to be.
  
  
• Director Cameo: [Steven Spielberg] Leads the pirates in march onto Hook's ship with Michael's watch on a pillow.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [Steven Spielberg] [stars]
  
  
• Director Trademark: [Steven Spielberg] [music]
  
  
• Director Trademark: [Steven Spielberg] [father] "Old" Peter doesn't pay attention to his kids.
  
  
• Kevin Kline was originally set to play Peter Pan, but had to drop out of the film because of Soapdish (1991) which was having major re-shoots, re-writes and taking much longer than expected to complete shooting.
  
  
• Julia Roberts was nicknamed "Tinkerhell" because she was difficult to deal with.
  
  
• 'Sir James M Barrie', at the end of the novel "Peter and Wendy", says that Wendy had a granddaughter - named Margaret, not Moira. However, he has Wendy give her full name as "Wendy Moira Angela Darling".
  
  
• The word bangarang is actually Jamaican slang and is defined as a hubbub, uproar, disorder, or disturbance
  
  
• Steven Spielberg originally asked Richard Attenborough to play Tootles. Attenborough declined, as he was working on Chaplin (1992) at the time.
  
  
• David Bowie turned down the role of Captain James Hook.
  
  
• Tom Hanks was considered for the role of Peter Pan.
  
  
• Originally slated to be the premier movie for Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) in theatres, but development was delayed. SDDS premiered with The Last Action Hero instead.
  
  
• When Peter first sees Tinkerbell in the nursery, she crashes into the doll house and falls. He keeps calling her "little bug." In FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) he did Batty's voice over and said this to the main character Crysta, "Oh, you're a strange little bug."
  
  
• According to Frank Sanello's biography "Spielberg," Nick Castle was originally attached to direct the film, and had been developing the screenplay for the film for a long time. Once Steven Spielberg expressed interest in being involved, the producers (and possibly heads of the studio) quickly gave Nick Castle a six-figure settlement, gross points and a "screen story" credit so that he could step down and Spielberg could helm the production.
  
  
• Rebecca De Mornay was considered for the role of Tinkerbell.
  
  
• Samantha Mathis was one of the actresses considered for the role of Tinkerbell.
  
  
• Peter clapping his hands to heal Tinker Bell was a reference to the times when Peter Pan was performed on stage. Peter would ask the audience to clap to heal Tink. In the Disney animated film, the clapping was left out because Peter couldn't interact with audience and ask them to clap for Tinker Bell.
  
  
• After Peter Pan finds his kids kidnapped he is talking with the inspectors, the main inspector is Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford steps forward to have a word with Phil Collins and rounding out the Genesis band appearance is Tony Banks standing in the background.
  
  
• Joseph Mazzello was considered for the role of 'Jack'.
  
  
• The film contains a number of subtle references to the James Barrie play and book. These include: * An elderly Tootles is one of the characters in the film, and is referred to as Wendy's "first orphan". Tootles was one of the original Lost Boys. * In both the book/play and the film, Wendy greets Peter by calling him "Boy". * Granny Wendy recites a prayer-like speech as she leaves Maggie and Jack in the nursery, asking the lights to guard the sleeping babes. This is a direct quotation from the book. In the book Mrs. Darling says, "Night-lights are the eyes a mother leaves behind her to guard her children." (Chapter 2: The Shadow) * When Tinker Bell is first trying to get Peter to remember her, she says, "I drank poison for you!" This is a direct reference to the events in Chapter 13: Do You Believe in Fairies. * The invisible dinner sequence is inspired by the lines in the book: "The difference between (Peter) and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their dinners." from Chapter 6: The Little House * After human-sized Tinkerbell kisses Peter, and he remembers he has to save his children, Tink says to him, "You silly ass, Go!" In the book, Tinkerbell repeatedly calls Peter a "silly ass". * Toward the end of the movie, Tootles says "I've missed the adventure again, haven't I, Peter?" This is in reference to the book, as it is mentioned that the reason Tootles was so humble was because, by some misfortune, he missed most of the adventures the Lost Boys participated in.
  
  
• A number of lines in the film's dialogue are direct homages to the James Barrie book. Among them are: * "When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousands pieces and they went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies." In the film this is recited by Granny Wendy and Maggie Banning. In the book it is spoken by Peter to Wendy. (Chapter 3: Come Away, Come Away!) * "I can't come with you. I have forgotten how to fly. I'm old, Peter. Ever so much more than twenty. I grew up a long time ago." The line is spoken by an aged Wendy to Peter in both the film and book. * "Strike, Peter. Strike true." In the film this is spoken by a defeated Hook to Peter. In the book it is spoken by a guilty Tootles to Peter in Chapter 6: The Little House. * When Peter and his family arrive in London at the start of the film, Peter tells his Children "first impressions are the most important". In the book, Peter tells the lost boys "Look your best, first impressions are awfully important" when they first enter the house they built for Wendy in Chapter 6: The little House. * When Peter confronts Hook for the final battle at the end of the film, they say: "Peter Pan, prepare to meet thy doom." "Dark and sinister man, have at thee." This exchange is almost directly lifted from the book, Chapter 15: Hook or Me This Time, the original line being: "Proud and insolent youth, prepare to meet thy doom." "Dark and sinister man, have at thee." * During the duel between Peter and Hook, Hook says "Thus perished Peter Pan". This is a flip of the original line "Thus perished Jas. Hook", which is from Chapter 15: Hook or Me This Time. * Peter's line in the movie "to live will be an awfully big adventure" refers to a line in the book where Hook says: "to die will be an awfully big adventure" in Chapter 8: the Mermaid's Lagoon.
  
  
• In the scene where Hook enters Wendy's home to kidnap the children, just as Nana the dog is shown. She can be heard barking before waking Toodles. It's possible to hear Nana barking "woof! woof! hoof! hoof! HOOK!" To which Toodles then awakes and starts to say Hook.
  
  
• Dustin Hoffman has appeared in two films about "Peter Pan" (Hook (1991) and Finding Neverland (2004)). Following his appearance in "Hook", close friend and former roommate Gene Hackman began calling him "Hook" as a joke. The name stuck and his contemporaries call him by that nickname to this day.
  
  
• There is many references to the story of Peter Pan in Wendy's house: In the nursery the window clasp is in the shape of Captain Hook's hook; the wall boarders are painted scenes from the Peter Pan story; in Toodles' room is a scale model of the Jolly Roger in a bottle; Wendy's brother John's top hat and glasses; Wendy's youngest brother Michael's teddy bear.
  
  
• While Peter is on his cellphone, the children are running around him. Jack stands in front of a light which makes his shadow grow large against the wall. The shadow is right next to Peter while he is on the phone. This is a reference to Peter Pan and his shadow.
  
  
• When Granny Wendy is telling the children about the story of Peter Pan, she is holding one of the original printings of the book. It is a first edition version which is noticeable by the olive color, and the gold gilt design on the front cover. The version was printed in 1911 as the first novelization of Peter and Wendy.
  
  

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