David Lowery in Talks to Direct PETE'S DRAGON Remake

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints director David Lowery already co-wrote the screenplay for Disney’s remake of Pete’s Dragon, and now he is in talks to direct the film as well. The 1977 original was a musical that followed an orphan on the run from his abusive adoptive family accompanied by his best friend, an invisible dragon named Elliot. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and it is nearly unwatchable as an adult, mostly because of the terrible animation and effects. That’s a shame, because it has some really great songs.

The new version, co-written by Tony Halbrooks, is expected to take a different tone and will not be a musical, which is a shame, because (again) the original had some really great songs. Lowery’s most recent feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, is maybe tonally a bit different than what you’d expect from a Disney movie, but it also features a man on the run. And his 2009 feature, St. Nick, is also a story of kids who’ve run away from away from home. So it seems like a theme he’s drawn to, which makes me really intrigued to see what he’ll bring to the table.

On the whole, I’m a little ambivalent about the project. Like I said, Pete’s Dragon is unwatchable now, and I’ve kind of been wishing for a remake, but the songs, and particularly Helen Reddy’s performance of them, are a thing I don’t want to lose. So here’s the deal, David Lowery, make your probably more realistic movie, but let Reddy sing “Candle on the Water” over the credits, and we can call it good.

Via: The Wrap