On the heels of the releases of The Jungle Book and Finding Dory earlier this year, Disney Studios is working its magic once again with a reimagining of the 1977 classic film, Pete’s Dragon. Other than the name of the movie and the main characters Pete and Elliot, nothing else is similar between these two films. Fans of the 1977 version will instantly fall in love with and appreciate the beauty of this version too.
Pete’s Dragon tells the story of a young boy, orphaned by a tragic accident. Lost and alone in the local woods, he runs into a legendary Millhaven dragon, which he names Elliot. Pete and Elliot come to rely on each other, not only for safety, but for friendship and love. Elliot acts more of a family pet, a protector for Pete, than an evil beast hell bent on scaring local hunters.When threatened, instead of fighting back, Elliot uses his magic to disappear.You can’t help but hope for Pete and Elliot to find a home of their very own, they already are family. The way Pete and Elliot love each other is so heartwarming.It goes beyond legend, beyond lore and beyond “species.”
As a child, park ranger Grace Meacham grew up hearing tall tales from her father Meachem, played by the legendary actor Robert Redford, about the fierce dragon he encountered in the woods years before.
He shares his story with the local town children, who love to listen to legend and lore. Much to the chagrin of Grace, who knows the forest like “she knows the back of her hand” and has never, herself, discovered the mysterious being.
Sitting Down with the Cast of Disney’s “Reimagining” of Pete’s Dragon
By Jonelle
When you walk up to the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, you walk up on a red carpet, I imagine similar to those you’d find at movie premieres. Today, I was going to meet the cast of Disney’s upcoming Pete’s Dragon, out August 12th. Pete’s Dragon (2016) is about a boy, named Pete living alone in the woods with his friend Elliot, who happens to be a not so mythical dragon. Many of us grew up with the original 1977 film. I remember watching that version when I was a little girl. The Saturday nights of my childhood were reserved for family classics like Pippi Longstocking and Pete’s Dragon. Aside from the names and theme of “what makes a family”, this retelling of Pete’s Dragon is an entirely different film from the original. This sentiment was echoed by both Ms. Bryce Dallas Howard, and director Mr. David Lowery.
We met with Ms. Howard first. The moment she walked into the room, it lit up. She was so cheery, sweet and fun, and her laugh was truly infectious. She talked about how she grew up with the original as well and that this version was, “not a remake” and to please help them with sharing that. It’s a “reimagining” of the original, because nothing is the same except for the title Pete’s Dragon.
When asked about the difference between working with dinosaurs versus working with dragons, she said that the films obviously had very different tones and that this time she got to wear more comfortable shoes, (in inference to Jurassic World and the “running in heels controversy”)
As a mom, this role was very emotional for her. She loved working with and was very protective of the kids in the film, Oaks Fegley who plays Pete, and Oona Laurenece who plays Natalie. She sweetly mentioned how, “Oaks will one day be a director and Oona, President.” She talked about the themes of the film, to believe in magic, that magic is possible, and about the miracle of family especially, “what it takes to find your family when you think you’ve lost your family.” As a child she was always encouraged to use her imagination. In the film, Grace’s father Meacham tells her, “Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
Director David Lowery was told by Disney execs that they didn’t want just a “remake”, they wanted something entirely different. This is exactly what he gave them. Because this version is very different from the original, film lovers will be able to appreciate both. It’s a story that will be loved by new generations of audiences and will win the hearts of the fans of the original (like me). Mr. Lowery wanted to make sure that the time period of this film was ambiguous, and yes, it is a “period piece”. You can tell that this story takes place sometime in the 1970’s, maybe to pay homage to the 1977 original?
Mr. Lowery mentioned how he loves stories about families, kids, animals and mythical creatures. It’s his love of animals that inspired his creation of a fury, more “dog like” family pet dragon (Elliot) than the scaly dragons we see in past films. His vision of Elliot makes you want to find a pet dragon of your very own.
“Many strange tales are told of this Jungle.
But none so strange as the tale of the cub we called Mowgli” … ~ Bagheera
I am fascinated how a film can, when done correctly, invoke feelings within such a short amount of time. Happiness, loss, pride and true emotional investment to the stories characters, how often can you say a film has done this for you? I was invited by Disney to get a sneak peak of the soon to be released The Jungle Book last month, here’s a little on what to expect from this cutting edge film that I am very excited to see with my family!
In this day of computer generated everything, feelings sometimes get lost in the over the top spectacle of it all. Things are just so far beyond belief sometimes that you are literally too busy trying to process it all. Mash the two together, the ability to create something that stirs emotions yet is beyond reality and is totally believable, That’s is The Jungle Book.
A few words from the creative genius behind The Jungle Book Jon Favreau and Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato.
“When I think about Disney’s legacy, I relate to Walt’s original dream,” says director Jon Favreau.
“Walt Disney’s work has influenced my work. He was considered high-tech for the time. He was the first person who locked soundtrack with picture, so the characters
were perfectly choreographed to the musical score—something that absolutely blew
people’s minds. Disney was on the cutting edge of technology.”
According to the director, every choice was made with the audience in mind. “The
audience has to be taken on a ride. They want thrills, adventure, excitement, laughs.
And they want emotion. I tried to make a movie that I’d want to see. There’s a flavor to it” added Favreau referring to the musical score and it “Ticked all the boxes” when it came to his memories of the Original Disney classic.
Employing the very latest iteration of movie magic, which would allow his director the freedom to push the limits of what’s possible in film making. “It’s a photo-real film grounded in the real world,” says Legato. “There’s something very interesting about that.” He also went on to add,
“The audience will feel the grandeur of the Indian jungle,” says Legato. “They’ll
experience this exotic land. That’s part of the fun of going to the movies—seeing a
place you’ve never seen before. Living it. Walking through it.”
Photo Courtesy: Disney Films
My initial thought after the viewing and the Q & A session, I was beyond impressed with the visual journey I know this film is going to take us all on. I truely enjoyed listening to the Director Jon Favreau and the visual effects supervisor Rob Legato describe their passion for the film and their efforts on this project in such laymen’s terms, I was truly drawn in and could have listened to them both all afternoon.
This being my first ever insider preview of an incomplete film, well I hadn’t any idea what I was in for or any idea of just how interesting it all is! The sheer talent that is needed to be a part of a team on such a project is amazing. I was enthralled and hung on every word shared with us. I now have the greatest appreciation for all the crafts involved, not just those who perform in front of the camera.
It takes a very special mind and a great amount of talent as Jon Favreau has. To say that he had some big shoes to fill creating a new Jungle book after the genius of Walt Disney is an understatement. The technologies though worlds apart in creating both the original and the new to be released film truly show that no matter the technology, the film must have a heart and a soul to bring it to life, I’m pleased to say that in my opinion The Jungle Book is Reborn!
Photo Courtesy: Disney Films
The Jungle Book movie is based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories while being inspired by Disney’s 1967 animated classic. The film features state-of the-art technology that immerses the audience while seamlessly blending live-action along with photorealistic CGI animals and environments. Transporting movie goers using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques in an enchanting and lush world, it’s an adventure you have to see to believe!
Here’s one of the trailers for the film THE JUNGLE BOOK to tide you over till it’sopening in theatres everywhere in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D onApril 15th!
Catheryn~
Catheryn studied Interior Design at the L.A Campus of F.I.D.M then life thew her and her husband of 28 years a curve ball when they took in their little angel and life as they knew it would be forever changed….for the better of course. Her girl is 8 now and has high functioning Autism. She was the driving force for Catheryn to start blogging 2 years ago about ASD friendly places in So Cal. I hope you find inspiration or a new great find on her site to spark the inner cleverness in you. www.cleverlycatheryn.com
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
