Good News, Someone Else Knows About Pete’s Dragon. Bad News, They’re Remaking It.

My family loves this movie. We have it on VHS. Sad to hear of a remake. If they don’t realize it’s a musical, they have no business touching it.

This and Bedknobs and Broomsticks were my favorites as a kid. We also watched them on beta and I know all the songs :) it sounds like they should just make a different dragon movie altogether rather than mess up a remake.

That sounds like it could be an interesting movie, but not a very good remake. Also, Mickey Rooney was in the original? I did not realize that, though it’s been years since I’ve seen it.

Saw this in the theatre when it first came out as a kid. They’re remaking it? For the love of Pete…

1) I knew about Pete’s Dragon. :) 2) This remake is a terrible, terrible idea. Why would they even call it “Pete’s Dragon” if they’re “reinventing the core story of the film”? *sigh* Nothing gold can stay…

I love this movie. It’s a bit jarring to watch, it’s so different from what I’m used to, but I still like it a lot.
I particularly love “candle on the water” and I am very sad to hear that it’ll be changed so much.
I hate when remakes and adaptions have little to nothing to do with the original work ( I’m looking at you, race to witch Mountain and Howl’s Moving castle)

I remember Pete’s Dragon too! I think they used to air it on Disney in the early 90s, maybe? I seem to recall thinking how awesome it would be to have a lighthouse. And, you know, a dragon.

The remake does not sound particularly promising, though.

I loved Pete’s Dragon. Skeptical of a re-make. I mean, give us more dragon movies, YES, absolutely, but don’t mess with Eliot!

We used to watch Pete’s Dragon at my day care! My class sang “It’s Not Easy” at our kindergarten graduation. Thank the gods I’m 99% sure there’s no video evidence of that.

I remember Pete’s Dragon.
I remember Betamaxes, and my Dad had one too.
I think I watched it in the pre-cable era on Disney’s Sunday evening show that was on one of the big three networks… and that’s about all I remember of it.

Oh I remember this one too, mostly fondly, though I’m thinking that a rewatch would lead to the “better left to nostalgia” conclusion so many movies from my childhood prompt. Candle on the Water is running through my head right now, though, a very sad rendition as it sounds like that awesome song won’t be in the remake.

You pretty much covered all my feelings on it. I’ll be in the corner singing “Candle on the Water” to myself until I feel better.

Oh, I remember Pete’s dragon. I was kicked out of the world premier at age 2.5 for yelling, “MOMMY, WHERE PETE? WHERE THE DWAGON?” whenever they weren’t on-screen. It’s one of my mother’s favourite stories. :-p

This was my little sisters absolute favourite movie as a child. She wore out at least two VHS copies that I can remember, and she knew the dialog and songs word for freaking word! She will be devastated to learn about a remake. She HATES remakes of anything!

I knew about it too. I got all excited when I saw it on DVD at the store, and wanted to snatch it up. The fact that they’re remaking it makes me ill. Shame on Disney. They’re all about money these days.

One of the best things about the original WAS the songs. I used to sing along with them all the time with my book record set.

Of course, now that I’m older I realize how dark and twisted some of those songs were (“Every Little Piece”, “Bill of Sale” for example), which kinda makes me love it a little more. “Candle on the Water” is still beautiful though.

One of the best things about the original WAS the songs. I used to sing along with them all the time with my book record set.

Of course, now that I’m older I realize how dark and twisted some of those songs were (“Every Little Piece”, “Bill of Sale” for example), which kinda makes me love it a little more. “Candle on the Water” is still beautiful though.

It was never one of my favorite Disney movies (I wasn’t a big fan of live action as a kid), but I play showtunes in a bar where I live and “Candle on the Water” is always a tear jerker for the people watching. Really a beautiful song…

Not only do I know about Pete’s Dragon, but it’s one of my favorite movies of all time! The idea of a remake scares the Gogans out of me.

1) I know Pete’s Dragon! (I have sheet music for candle on the water, although My fav. song though is Passamashloddy) 2) It’s not nearly as obscure as Gus or The Watcher in the Woods 3) If you’re reinventing the core story, is it really a remake? 4) Talking about horrible ideas for kid movies, whatever happened to that candyland movie?

At this point, why call it a remake? Why not “inspired by”???

they really should not be allowed to rape our childhood by remaking an awesome movie—Please leave well enough alone. I dont wanna see todays tweens messing up my movie. Besides who the hell else could sing candle on the water better than helen reddy?

This makes me cry … though in complete fairness, I will sacrifice Pete’s Dragon as long as they NEVER EVER remake Bedknobs & Broomsticks.

(….unless it stars Ewan McGregor as Professor Brown. Then we’ll just play it by ear.)

This movie was probably where I got my dream to run a lighthouse when I grew up. Imagine my disappointment when I found out they are mostly automated now.

If you wouldn’t mind, please don’t use the word rape on our site unless you’re actually talking about rape.

I loved Pete’s Dragon when I was a kid. We owned it on VHS. I hate hollywood! They are soulless and have no more original ideas.

I loved Pete’s Dragon.
Remake? DO NOT WANT.
…
I can think of nothing you will add to this childhood gem, and oh-so-much you can take away.
DO NOT WANT.
Reading through all the already-posted comments, I see that it actually has a core group of fans who were raised on it. That’s why it’s so remakable.
Fuck you very much Disney. Beloved is not just a word for ‘cashable.’

“I’ll be your candle on the water, my love for you will always burn…”

This movie was a staple of my kidhood, too.

I’m with you on this. Why does Disney feel the need to mess up their classics? I’d love to see the original brought back to the big screen. It is just as fun now as it was then, and I think today’s young people would really enjoy it.

I forgave Witch Mountain a little because, honestly, between the original movie and the original book, they needed to struggle to find their feet…
Wait, did you mean the movie which mangled the book, or the remake movie that mangled both?

Okay, I’d watch it. You’re in charge of all remakes from here on out.

I had it on beta too! I wish they would just remaster it vs. a remake.

I will miss the songs, but honestly, it was Jim Dale that made that movie. No one else should ever be allowed to play Doc Terminus. (My favorite Disney movie when I was a kid also starred him. Who else remembers “Hot Lead and Cold Feet”?)

Yes! Ha, I used to serenade my parents with that song!

Wha…? No.

No. No, that’s not right.

Pete’s Dragon is a gentle, period piece (well, as “gentle” as anything with the song “Happiest Home In These Hills” in it can be). It’s charming and whimsical, and very much dated. Not in a way that makes it unwatchable today, but in a way that makes it untranslatable to modern filmmaking. That’s fine. We don’t need a new one. Let’s just show the kids the old one.

Heck, I’ll bet if Disney did a summer re-release of their old movies in theatres, they’d do pretty well. Weekday matinees that come with a popcorn/soda/candy/ticket combo are bread and butter during the summer months, what with all those parents and summer programs trying to find something for their stir-crazy kids to do.

On a more cheerful note, did anyone else catch the Pete’s Dragon reference in a recent PVP comic?

I have been known to sing it to my family … they actually ask for it.

I feel like I’m missing something, because everyone I know loves “Candle on the Water” but to me as a kid, it was just the song that was stalling the action and funny bits.

“Every Little Piece” and “Bill of Sale” however were two of my favorites. Also, “Every Little Piece” is Jim Dale singing, the man known to my younger sibling’s generation as The Narrator of The Harry Potter Books.

That is a great point to make in cases like this and INSPIRED BY would generate more “positive” buzz by not offending ORIGINAL VERSION fans.

Pete’s Dragon is my favourite Disney movie. Ever. We watched it so much when we were kids. I hadn’t seen it in years and when my older brother and I were in our early 20′s it came on TV when we were both home and we watched the entire thing and I’m pretty sure we both cried (shhh!). I own it on DVD now and adore all of the songs and characters.

sigh. I wish movie-makers could just imagine their own stories instead of constantly remaking everything.

I loved Pete’s Dragon as a kid. Who cares if they are remaking it?

They can do whatever they want with the remake because they’ve got a bill of sale right there that says the intellectual property belongs to them.

aka That Guy Who Can’t Pronounce Voldemort (for the first few books, anyway.)
But he *was* pretty awesome in Pete’s Dragon.

no no no no, please don’t ruin yet another beloved thing from my childhood, Hollywood. ):

Does anyone know that the author of the original story wrote it to star a black kid? That makes the way they handled slavery (and the rest of the story) trite. I’ve always had a soft spot for the movie, but I will always mourn the loss of a tender story of a child who ran away from his owners and found a new family and an invisible dragon to protect him.

I hope they do it right this time. Can you imagine Kunta Kinte with Pete as his protector?

NOOOOOOO! Why do they continue to crush my childhood? Shelley Winters brought it hard in this movie.

We saw it at Radio City Music Hall when I was a kid. My dad spilled popcorn all over the lobby. :)

Not only did I know about Pete’s Dragon, my daughter got the Blu-Ray for Christmas and I’ve rewatched it twice with her. Because Mickey Rooney! And Shelley Winters! And Red Buttons! etc…. A remake is a bad idea. :-(

Now it will be ‘The Legacy of Pete’s Dragon’. Where, Pete, having grown up and moved away has left his ‘imaginary friend’ to languish in a nearby cave along the shore. As the years pass, the dragon become mutated and yearns only for his ‘precious’ until one day some idiot comes along and ‘releases’ the dragon to wreck havoc on the sleepy, fog covered coastal village. Many scenes pass showing townfolk (and hapless teens) being dragged off by some ‘invisible force’ and later found in typical ‘teen summer slasher’ fashion… UNTIL, the grandson of Pete arrives to save the day (and the local virgin!). All 48 frames per second and UBER VISION so you have to pay more for the glasses then the actual popcorn!

I just want to cuddle your 2.5 year-old self SO BAD.

My favorite part of any parade at Disneyworld is the part where Pete comes out riding his dragon, and I squeal like a retard and the children standing beside me are greatly confused. (This movie remake is a terrible, terrible idea. Stop defiling my childhood, Disney, and just hire someone with an original idea?)

There is only one Disney movie I’d want to see remade.

The Black Hole

(Apologies for the language)

God Almighty, why is every bloody movie getting remade? Never mind, I can guess the answers – because a) studios are trying to (to quote randbreviews on youtube) find cheaper ways to make movies and faster ways to turn a buck, and b) NO-ONE CAN COME UP WITH AN ORIGINAL IDEA ANYMORE. Seriously, every movie that’s released these days is either a remake, sequel/prequel, rip-off of another movie, or an adaptation of a book/story/play/whatever (which is usually OK).

Even though I didn’t grow up watching this movie (I first saw it as a teenager, when I realised that it was the only older Disney movie I’d never seen.), I still really like it (I’d hesitate to say I love it) and it’s a HELL of a lot better than the crap that is released today.

I guess Disney is thinking (again,partly quoting randbreviews) “Probably no-one’s watching this old movie anymore, so let’s remake it and make some money off of it”. The thing is there ARE people who like the original movie.

Maybe at this point I should mention that it’s not this specific remake that I hate, it’s remakes in general (unless they are improvements on the original story, like the 1940s movie “The Maltese Falcon” starring Humphrey Bogart). If a studio wants to use the same characters but tell a different story (which is basically what’s happening here), then I’d have a lot more respect for them if they said that it was a SEQUEL, not a REMAKE. Honestly, I’d prefer that over a studio retelling an old story but trying (and usually failing) to improve upon it.

I could go on, but this is becoming a rant, so I’ll stop.

oh come on, don’t just automatically assume its gonna be bad (especially with so little info). I mean, seriously people! think it’ll be interesting.