Disney's classic family film
Pete's Dragon has been brought back to life using spectacular New Zealand locations as the backdrop. The film was shot over both of New Zealand's main islands, the North and the South, showcasing diverse landscapes. The story about an orphaned boy and his best friend Elliot the dragon is directed by David Lowery and stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, New Zealand's own Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford.
Disney's
Pete's Dragon fans who want to transport themselves into the film by visiting the real locations used in the movie can explore New Zealand and go on their own adventure:
About Disney's Pete's Dragon
A reimagining of Disney's cherished family film, Disney's
Pete's Dragon is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. Disney's
Pete's Dragon stars Bryce Dallas Howard ("Jurassic World"), Oakes Fegley ("This is Where I Leave You"), Wes Bentley ("The Hunger Games"), Karl Urban ("Star Trek"), Oona Laurence ("Southpaw") and Oscar® winner Robert Redford ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier"). The film is directed by David Lowery ("Ain't Them Bodies Saints") from a screenplay by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and a story by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a. ("The Finest Hours," "Friday Night Lights"), with Barrie M. Osborne ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Great Gatsby") serving as executive producer.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales...until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliot. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliot seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. Disney's "Pete's Dragon" opens in U.S. theaters on 12 August, 2016. The film will be released in New Zealand on 15 September, 2016.