Entertainment

34 Years Later, Steven Spielberg’s Forgotten Pirate Adventure That Made Him “Insecure” Is a Free Streaming Hit

Published

3 weeks ago

17 November 2025

34 Years Later, Steven Spielberg’s Forgotten Pirate Adventure That Made Him "Insecure" Is a Free Streaming Hit

Wine gets better with the passage of time, and it would seem the same can be said for Steven Spielberg‘s long-forgotten pirate adventure, Hook. Visionary filmmaker Spielberg had already dazzled audiences with big-screen blockbusters such as Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. In 1991, he decided it was time to try his hand at reimagining Disney’s Peter Pan in a cinematic live-action adaptation. The film — which stars Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Robin Williams as Peter Pan, and Dustin Hoffman as the titular Captain James Hook — was made well over three decades ago. Now, after making its way onto streaming, the Spielberg film, which had its fair share of challenges in production, has begun excelling on streaming, holding a Top 10 spot on Pluto TV.

Hook made its way to theaters on December 11, 1991, and went on to gross a respectable $119.6 million domestically while operating on a $70 million budget. However, it wasn’t quite the mammoth family blockbuster Spielberg had become accustomed to. The shock was even higher given all the star power involved, along with the intriguing foundation of a grown-up Peter Pan. With a woeful score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics across decades haven’t been impressed by the production.

Spielberg’s Hook was inspired by the 1953 animated feature from Disney, which has since gone on to become a seminal classic, and Paramount Pictures’ 1924 silent film of the Peter Pan stage play. Despite being properly inspired, Spielberg’s final product was disappointing, with the director himself not being a fan of it. In a 2018 interview, the director admitted he was out of his depth, adding:

“I felt like a fish out of water making Hook. I didn’t have confidence in the script. I had confidence in the first act, and I had confidence in the epilogue. I didn’t have confidence in the body of it. I didn’t quite know what I was doing, and I tried to paint over my insecurity with production value, the more insecure I felt about it, the bigger and more colorful the sets became.”

Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ Was Meant for Greater Things

Hook was meant to be quite the spectacle, as Spielberg was at the height of his power and influence. Several intriguing options lay before him regarding an adaptation, with an option involving pop star Michael Jackson. Both men shared a deep passion for J.M. Barrie’s classic story of a free-spirited flying boy who didn’t grow up. They tried to bring the story to life as an epic fairy tale musical, but the pressures of the entertainment industry kept their vision from becoming a reality. Spielberg was able, however, to get Julia Roberts on board. Roberts had only recently become America’s sweetheart with Pretty Woman in 1990. Sadly, though, after what was a stressful movie production, Roberts and Spielberg would go on to exchange words in the media. Even more disappointing, the pair would never work together again on a project.

Besides the aforementioned cast members, Hook also features Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Caroline Goodall, Charlie Korsmo, Amber Scott, Laurel Cronin, Phil Collins, Arthur Malet, Isaiah Robinson, and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others. With Spielberg directing, the film was produced by Dodi Fayed, James V. Hart, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio, Bruce Cohen, Craig Baumgarten, Gary Adelson, and Malia Scotch Marmo.

Hook is available to stream for free on Pluto TV.