Robert Redford headed for Disney's 'Pete's Dragon' remake

The American actor is in talks to join a remake of the 1977 film combining animation and live action, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Coming off of his role in the second "Captain America" movie, Robert Redford is headed for another major Hollywood studio production, marking a shift after years of focusing on indie projects.

In Disney's "Pete's Dragon" remake, he could play a local man who tells tall tales about dragons that no one believes.

The studio plans to begin lensing its updated version of the children's movie this fall in New Zealand.

Leaving behind the original setting of a Maine fishing town, the remake will be set against the backdrop of a forest threatened by loggers. Pete, a young orphan whose parents died in a car crash, is raised by Elliot, a big-hearted dragon who lives in the forest that is being cut down.

Just as the original movie was a combination of animation and live action, the remake will be a mix of CGI and live action footage. Director David Lowery ("Ain't Them Bodies Saints") is to direct the feature.