Ever wondered about the backstory of Rufio, the young, red-stripe haired Filipino boy from the iconic 1991 children’s film “Hook”?
Then you’ll be interested to hear about Dante Basco’s new Kickstarter campaign — the actor is trying to bring back Rufio in a coming-of-age film called “Bangarang,” which will explore the character “before the mohawk, before Neverland, before he was The Pan.”
The project poses Rufio as a 13-year-old from an immigrant family whose mother is forced to put him in a foster home. There, he finds a rag-tag group of friends and escapes, to find greatness.
Basco, who has taken on the project as co-executive producer, is a longtime fan-favorite who’s voiced characters in popular series like “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “American Dragon: Jake Long.” His first major role was as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys, alongside Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman.
“We answer all the questions you’ve ever wondered — How and why is Rufio the leader of the Lost Boys? Where does ‘bangarang’ come from? And of course, how he gets the mohawk,” the synopsis reads.
The crowdfunding goal is $30,000 for a short film, though if they can reach $200,000, it’ll become a feature film. The Kickstarter includes an open casting call for three child actors, all age 13.
“In a world of endless sequels, prequels, and reboots, we feel ‘Bangarang’ holds a unique place,” the project writes. “Sure, it draws off a popular studio film, and (a) billion-dollar property (Peter Pan), but the key for us is that this movie is a social commentary on the current world climate.”
