The latest trailer for Pete's Dragon, the (mostly) live-action remake of the classic Disney tale, has arrived, and it is far superior than the teaser trailer we got a few months ago. Director/co-writer David Lowery, who we last saw at the helm of the neo-Western Ain't Them Bodies Saints, looks to have an excellent handle on the tone here, which is at once wondrous, sensitive, and hopeful. I don't know if it's because the dragon's name is Ellliot or because of the strong police presence, but I'm getting a very strong Steven Spielberg vibe from this thing, and I am loving it.

Lowery penned the script alongside Toby Halbrooks, and his collaboration with cinematographer Bojan Bazelli looks to be incredibly fruitful. The entire film was shot in New Zealand, and the visuals captured here are not only jaw-dropping, but incredibly effective. In a world so often filled with ugliness, cynicism, and the absence of hope, the majesty and optimism of Pete's Dragon on display in this trailer feels like a welcome reprieve.


The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl UrbanOona Laurence and Robert Redford. Pete's Dragon will be released by Disney nationwide on August 12th.

For more on the film, check out 13 things to know and our interview with Bryce Dallas Howard.

Here's the latest trailer for Pete's Dragon:

Here are the new images:

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Image via Disney

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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney

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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney
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Image via Disney

And here's the official synopsis for the film:

A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, “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. “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”), Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (“Cedar Rapids”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”). The film, which is directed by David Lowery (“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”), is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and produced by Jim Whitaker (“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 August 12, 2016.

 

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