See the stunning new CGI makeover for PETE’S DRAGON, Elliott!
Elliott, the surprising, magical creature behind the film title Pete’s Dragon, has come out of hiding to give us all a first look! Given that Elliott is known for keeping himself invisible to most, we consider ourselves pretty lucky!
The story follows a young boy named Pete (Oakes Fegley) who befriends the massive, furry green dragon who likes to camouflage himself in the woods. Not many people can see Elliott, but he causes quite a stir in Pete’s small town.
It’s clear that in this rendition Elliott as a far more distinguished look than has 1977 counterpart:
“Certain things about the original design we loved: Big jaw, big snout, and a clumsy quality that we really wanted to not completely forget about,” director David Lowery told Entertainment Weekly with the reveal. They even “explored” keeping the pink details, but it didn’t lend much to Elliott’s ability to blend into the woods.
How will Elliott’s demeanor play out on film? The special effects team at Weta watched hours of animal videos to get his lumbering, goofy form just right. “There’s one video of a giant panda tumbling in his cave, and we looked at that again and again as our Elliott — this big animal who just doesn’t know what to do with his body,” says production designer Jade Healey.
Elliott definitely needed an upgrade from his 1970s look and we think his appearance is more fascinating than ever!
Pete’s Dragon flies into theaters on August 12, 2016.
