Disney’s reimagining of the classic Pete’s Dragon will be hitting theaters at the tail end of the summer blockbuster season. It was a bit surprising to hear that the film would be getting the treatment given that the original never really found huge success, but did get a cult following. However, with David Lowery‘s directing and the cast’s young leads, Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence, the film has found place where it can stand alongside some of the great live-action adaptations the studio has been delivering, and stand side by side with the original film.
We were invited to sit down with the cast and Lowery during the film’s press day, so we will have a lot of content from the film coming in the next few weeks leading up to the release. We had a chance to talk to the real stars of the film, Fegely and Laurence, who play Pete and Natalie, respectively. During our interview, we talked about what sort of games they played during breaks in between sets, what it was like working with a dragon that wasn’t there, what doing their own stunts was like (yes, they did their own stunts), and much more.
Disney has released an official trailer for Pete’s Dragon, the next in the line of remakes of their older movies. We saw a teaser trailer for the movie released back in February.
Unlike most of Disney’s remakes lately, which are updated live-action takes on their classic animated features, this one is a remake of their 1977 feature of the same name, which was a mixture of live-action and animation.
You can read more about the movie, give the new trailer a watch, and see a new poster below.
It’s no secret that Disney’s live-action adaptation of their animated classics have helped them become a powerful box-office juggernaut. The studio has already released two this year alone, and have a third planned for release later this August, though you could say that it was an unexpected choice.
Pete’s Dragon is a new telling of the 1967 classic film from David Lowery. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Wes Bently, Karl Urban, and newcomers Oakes Fegeley and Oona Laurence the film is a bit of an unconventional but welcomed adaptation, as it uses the bare bones elements of a savage boy being raised by a dragon, who then finds a home with his fellow humans, who try to figure out how he could live for so long on his own. While certain members of the small town community know of Pete’s secret friend, others see it as a threat, and are bent on capturing the creature.
We were recently invited to sit down with a group of journalists at the El Capitan last week to listen to David Lowery talk about the differences between the original and upcoming film, his process of bringing it from script to screen, the tone, songs, and more.
Check out the eight reasons why you should see this film below.
Disney Editions has an exciting release schedule over the next six months. Honoring some of the coolest characters, themes, and elements of all things Disney, these six titles should be on your “Disney wish list” for a variety of reasons. Here is my preview of upcoming Disney Editions books!
Following the release of the first poster for Disney’s reimagining of Pete’s Dragon comes the teaser trailer. Directed by David Lowery (Ain’t Them Body Saints), the film is a retelling of the 1977 cult classic about an orphan boy, Pete (Oakes Fegley), and his best friend, who just so happens to be a dragon named Elliot. The new film also stars Robert Redford, Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bently, and Oona Laurence.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press