The latest in Disney’s slew of live-action remakes and reimaginings, the tale of young orphan Pete and his winged friend looks starkly different to the 1977 original – in its aesthetics at least. Formerly lime green and goofy-grinned, the story remains the same, but director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) had a distinct vision for his creature.
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“When I went to pitch the movie to Disney, I said ‘I want him to be a furry dragon’. Pete is supposed to be cuddling up with the dragon, so let’s make him furry.” But his decision to create a furry beastie has more reasoning behind it than simply Pete’s (Oakes Fegley) comfort. “I wanted him to feel not like a Game Of Thrones or Harry Potter dragon”, Lowery explains, hoping his “75% realistic” dragon will be one audiences want to take home.
“A lot of [Elliott] is a dog, because people relate to dogs, but I’m a big cat person. There’s a seagull in there, and a tiger. Ultimately, it comes down to trying to make a 20 foot tall pet.” Somehow we think asking for a pony is no longer going to cut it...
For more on Pete’s Dragon, be sure to check out the July issue of Empire, available in all pro and anti-dragon newsagents on Thursday May 26.