David Lowery To Write PETE’S DRAGON Remake

It’s just a matter of time, before Disney looked back alongside some lesser-known, but still important example of the genre and now they have plans to remake their 1977 live action/animation hybrid Pete’s Dragon.

Indeed, this could be easy one of the first movies you saw in a theater and a staple on VHS throughout your childhood. Then you’ll be glad to hear that the studio and producer Jim Whitaker had hired David Lowery alongside his writing partner Toby Halbrooks to co-pen the screenplay.

But if you followed successful Sundance debut of Lowery’s heady, introspective drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, this probably would be the biggest surprise news of the day.

The scribe will be reinventing the core story, but unlike the original movie, the reboot won’t be a musical. Still it will center on a young orphan named Pete who moves into a small fishing community with his sometimes-invisible dragon, an imaginary friend, Elliot.

At this time, it appears that Lowery will only be writing the film and won’t be directing.

Lowery’s awarded film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, which he directed and wrote, stars Rooney Mara, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster and is set for release on August 16th 2013 through IFC Films.

If you’ve never seen the Disney original, check it out below.