Disney Doubles Down on Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Movie

Lilo & Stitch (2002) is one of Disney’s most beloved modern classics. In fact, the movie was so popular that several sequel films and even a television series were created.

But it has been a nonstop controversy since the Walt Disney Company announced its intention to create a live-action version of the movie.

Related: Star Confirms Likely Cancellation of Controversial Disney+ Series

The Scary Stitch

In April of last year, photos went viral showing a CGI version of Stitch. It was rumored to be the model Disney planned to use in the live-action remake.

One model was a horrifying Stitch that looked more like a creature from Gremlins than anything else. It was a thing of nightmares.

Related: Hawaiian Locals Share a First Look at the ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Remake Set

However, it soon came out that the image was not real. It was an AI-created image quickly debunked by Disney as fake news.

Casting Controversies

As is standard now in Hollywood, every casting choice must be scrutinized. As such, the live-action Lilo & Stitch has been accused of “colorism” by some.

The main issue was the casting of Sydney Agudong as Nani, Lilo’s older sister. In the original animated film, Nani is portrayed as 100% native Hawaiian, yet Agudong is multiracial with Hawaiian ancestry.

Related: Disney Faces More ‘Colorism’ Accusations After ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Casting

Some people took issue with that…as with the fact that her skin tone didn’t match that of the cartoon character.

Another casting controversy was the original choice of David (Nani’s friend and love interest). Initially, Disney had given the role to Hawaiian native Kahiau Machado.

However, the unknown actor was soon discovered to have racist comments on social media posts. So, he was quickly replaced with Kaipo Dudoit.

Other Cast Members

The character of Lilo will be played by Maia Kealoha, and Stitch will be voiced by Chris Sanders (the original voice of Stitch from the 2002 film).

Zach Galifianakis will play Dr. Jumba (Stitch’s creator), while Billy Magnussen is cast as Agent Pleakley.

Disney Resumes Filming

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halted much of Hollywood, including the live-action Lilo & Stitch. But starting next week, Disney will resume its film production in Hawaii.

Related: ‘I Wanted Nani To Look Like Me’ Fans Call Out Disney for ‘Whitewashing’ Lilo & Stitch Character

The movie is expected to wrap up filming sometime in March and will be exclusively released on Disney+ later this year. However, that may be subject to change if theaters are hungry for movies to play in 2024.