Casting continues today for Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming remake of Pete’s Dragon, set to be directed by David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints). Following word earlier this week of the addition of Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games, Interstellar), Variety reports that Michael C. Hall (“Dexter,” Kill Your Darlings) has also signed on, joining previously-announced Academy Award winner Robert Redford (All is Lost, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, Jurassic World), Oakes Fegley (This is Where I Leave You) and Oona Laurence (“Penny Dreadful”).
The original film, a hybrid of live action and animation, was released in 1977 and followed the adventures of Pete (Fegley), a young orphan boy with an imaginary friend, Elliot, who just happens to be an enormous animated dragon. The new version will offer the dragon via CGI and will have the Pete character joined by a human friend, Natalie (Laurence).
Hall, who is also well-known for his leading role on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” recently starred in director Jim Mickle’s Cold in July opposite Sam Shepard and Don Johnson.
Lowery has also co-written the screenplay for Pete’s Dragon with Toby Halbrooks and is set to begin production shortly in New Zealand. Jim Whitaker (American Gangster, The Odd Life of Timothy Green) is attached to produce.
(Photo Credit: Ivan Nikolov / WENN.com)
