Bryce Dallas Howard came on board Pete's Dragon because of New Zealand!

One of the eagerly awaited family movies of the year, Pete’s Dragon, 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 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. Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

Starring the Oscar winning Robert Redford and Bryce Dallas Howard (Of Jurassic World fame), the film has special effects by the renowned award winning WETA Digital (LOTR, The Hobbit, Avatar, The Jungle Book, etc), shot in the mesmerizing locales of New Zealand where most of these films have been shot.

And we hear that Bryce Dallas Howard all the more got onboard for Pete’s Dragon when she hard its being shot in New Zealand! She says,

“I came to NZ for the first time when I was 6 years old, ever since then I have always wanted to come back. And it was almost as exciting coming to New Zealand as it was getting to do Pete’s Dragon. When I heard, “Do you want to do Pete’s Dragon?” It was like, “Yes, where is it shooting?” “New Zealand.” Oh my gosh! I have been thrilled getting to come back here.”

Robert Redford adds,

“New Zealand is a country with a smile on its face. I came away with that phrase in my head. I would imagine that New Zealand today is the way America was when I was a little kid, where people bonded together, there was community work and there was joy and there was happiness, and it’s a can-do thing. New Zealand is a country that appreciates itself, I couldn’t help but smile..a wonderful experience for that reason.”