Allison Williams, co-star of the HBO hit series "Girls," will play Peter Pan in NBC's live musical version of the Broadway show, the network announced on Wednesday in conclusion of a long search that at one time included "Frozen's" Kristen Bell.
Williams, who is also the daughter of "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams, will be joined by veteran, award-winning actor
Christopher Walken in the role of Captain Hook.
The Los Angeles Times pointed out that Williams, 26, will follow in the footsteps of Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, and Cathy Rigby — who all played Peter at one time on Broadway.
"We couldn't be happier that Allison Williams is our Peter Pan," Robert Greenblatt, chairman at NBC Entertainment,
said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "She's a lovely rising star on the award-winning show 'Girls' — where she occasionally shows off her incredible vocal talent — and we think she will bring the perfect blend of 'boyish' vulnerability and bravado to save the day against Christopher Walken's powerful Captain Hook."
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NBC had originally pursued veteran stage actress and Disney's "Frozen" star Kristen Bell to play Peter Pan, but her schedule with the series "House of Lies" prevented her committing to the project, which airs December 4. Executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said, though, that they were pleased with Williams' arrival.
"Allison Williams is a major find," the producers said in a statement. "She will reinvent the iconic role of Peter Pan with her wit, her warmth, her dynamic flying and her wonderful musical abilities. The score will be sung beautifully and introduced to a whole new generation of families."
"Peter Pan Live" comes on the heels of last year's "Sound of Music" live production, starring Carrie Underwood.
The holiday special drew in an impressive 18.6 million viewers but premiered to less-than-stellar reviews.
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