Hook’s Rufio received his own origin story in short film Bangarang. Steven Spielberg’s 1991 fantasy blockbuster Hook acts as a sequel to author J. M. Barrie’s classic novel Peter Pan. The story follows Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a work-obsessed lawyer who was once Peter Pan, but forgot all about his adventures in Neverland when he grew up. His old enemy Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) returns and kidnaps his children, forcing Peter to return to Neverland and remember who he was.
Hook received mixed reviews upon release but it was a box-office success, grossing over $300 million worldwide. Steven Spielberg himself isn’t fond of Hook, later admitting he was never fully confident of the screenplay and he tried to make up for the weaknesses of the material with production value. The filmmaker had originally intended to turn Hook into a musical but abandoned that concept during development.
One major supporting character in Hook is Rufio (Dante Basco) who took over as the leader of the Lost Boys when Peter Pan left Neverland. With his bright red mohawk and bad attitude, Rufio became a cult character from the film. In 2017 a Kickstarter campaign was announced for short film Bangarang, which reveals the backstory of Rufio before his arrival in Neverland.
Bangarang: The Hook Prequel reveals Rufio was a bullied kid whose mother is forced to place him in a foster home. Rufio feels he’s set for bigger things in life, however, and after his principal - played by Rufio’s original performer Dante Basco - gives him a copy of Peter Pan to read, he dreams of flying. After flying in front of the school bully and saying goodbye to his mother, Bangarang ends with Rufio escaping to Neverland, leading into the events of Hook.
Bangarang is filled with all sorts of Hook easter eggs, including a business card bearing the name of Robin Williams’ lawyer Peter Banning; it also reveals how Rufio got his infamous red mohawk. While Hook may rank alongside Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom as one of Spielberg’s least liked of his own filmography, the movie has earned a solid cult fanbase over the years. While Bangarang is occasionally a little too syrupy for its own good, it’s a sweet homage to the film that spawned it. Peter Pan will feature as a main character in upcoming fantasy drama Come Away, which depicts him as a sibling to the title character of Alice In Wonderland; Angelina Jolie (Eternals) and David Oyelowo will co-star in the film.
Next: All The Live-Action Disney Remakes In Development
