Flight of the Navigator: Bryce Dallas Howard to direct a female-led reboot

Disney Studios is keeping the reboot beast well-fed after announcing that a reimagining of Flight of the Navigator is in the works. Bryce Dallas Howard is attached to direct and produce the project, which will feature a female lead. The original film tells the story of an eight-year-old boy who travels into the future alongside an intelligent, wisecracking alien robot. It starred Joey Freeman as the young David Freeman and Paul Ruebens (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Mystery Men) as the voice of Max, a lively A.I. whose ship can alter the fabric of time and space. It was directed by Randal Kleiser (Grease, The Blue Lagoon) and also starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Veronica Cartwright.

Of course, this isn’t Bryce Dallas Howard’s first rodeo for Disney Studios. She directed two outstanding episodes of The Mandalorian (Chapter 4 “The Sanctuary” and Chapter 11 “The Heiress”), and an episode of the upcoming spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett.  I imagine that she’ll feel right at home directing another sci-fi adventure for the House of Mouse, and I’m curious to see who will be cast in the role of the ship’s quip-tastic A.I.

In the meantime, Howard is set to run from more dinosaurs in Universal and Amblin’s Jurassic World: Dominion. The Jurassic World finale opens in theaters on June 10, 2022, after several delays due to the pandemic.