Sitting in a dully painted Ann Arbor hotel suite on a rainy autumn morning, it is clear that director Marc Forster is a long way from the sunny, fantastical world of Neverland. Forster, the talented young filmmaker who broke out with 2001’s Oscar-winning “Monster’s Ball,” has just released his much-anticipated follow-up “Finding Neverland.” The movie, which focuses on playwright J.M. Barrie’s inspirations for his masterpiece “Peter Pan,” is a stark contrast to the gritty and melancholy saga of Leticia Musgrove.

Even though the weather is foggy, Forster’s spirits aren’t dampened and his cheerfulness is as clear as Neverland’s blue skies. The director spoke with The Michigan Daily about his latest film and the timeless appeal of Barrie’s creation.

“When I read the script for ‘Finding Neverland,’ the movie really (appealed) to me since it had a lot of heart and soul,” Forster said. Finding Barrie’s own life story filled with allegories, the concepts of growing into adulthood struck a chord, as well as the nature of personal inspiration. “I believe the film has high crossover (appeal),” he said, referring to audiences of all ages who can relate to the ideas of uninhibited imagination and the darkness of mortality.

Sporting a smoothly shaven head, piercing dark eyes and unique, pointed ears, Forster could easily pass as a Lost Boy. Somewhat ironically, Forster wasn’t familiar with the Peter Pan story until he was much older, when he saw a performance of the play featuring Mary Martin. While it is typical for American children to be familiar with Barrie’s quixotic tale, Forster — who spent much of his childhood in Switzerland — grew up with the Heidi stories, which have become symbolic of the country’s literary culture.

In preparing for the shoot, Forster read Barrie’s work as well as biographies about the author. He also watched numerous Peter Pan movies, citing the 1924 silent version as one of the best versions of the story put onto celluloid.

It’s easy to see just how shrewd of a filmmaker Forster is. Saying with much apathy that “I don’t mind special effects,” it becomes clear that having visual tricks in his movies is not one of his top priorities. Ultimately though, Forster had to use special effects in “Finding Neverland.” “They were helpful in supporting my vision,” he explained as there are several sparse sequences in the movie that feature some eye-opening visuals. Forster used computer artistry and technology during some of Barrie’s fantasy sequences when playing with the Davies children (to give a “childlike, na