Everything We Know About Disney’s Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’

Walt Disney Animation is known for creating some of the most popular, memorable, and beautiful animated films of all time. The studio made history with its 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first feature-length animated film. Since then, 61 more animated films have come from the Disney family. Including the much-loved 2002 movie, Lilo & Stitch.

Related: Have Yourself the Ultimate Lilo & Stitch Movie Night!

Lilo & Stitch was so popular that a number of sequel films and even a television series were created. Subscribers can log onto Disney+ and have a Lilo & Stitch marathon! On the platform, they can watch the original film, along with Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Leroy & Stitch, and Stitch! The Movie.

In 2018, Disney announced that Lilo & Stitch were being brought to life in a new live-action remake.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming film.

What Is Lilo & Stitch About?

Lilo & Stitch tells the story of a young girl named Lilo Pelekai, who lives with her sister, Nani, on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. Nani has been Lilo’s legal guardian since the death of their parents. Lilo struggles to not only control her temper, but also to fit in with kids her age. Her sister decides that maybe Lilo needs a friend with four legs, so she takes her to the local animal shelter. There, Lilo is immediately drawn to Stitch, a blue “dog”, who strangely does not look like a dog.

And Stitch is definitely not a dog. He is, in fact, from Planet Turo, where he is known as “Experiment 626”. Stitch was designed for destruction and was exiled to an asteroid. However, he manages to escape and heads to Earth. When he sees that Lilo is interested in him, he uses her as a way to hide from the United Galactic Federation.

Even though Stitch never intended to fall in love with Lilo, she teaches him the importance of ‘Ohana, the Hawaiian term for family. Lilo famously tells Stitch, “‘Ohana means family. And family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” And she shows him that every family looks different and is special in its own way.

In the end, Stitch doesn’t stay with Nani and Lilo because it is better for him. He fights to stay with them because they are his family.

“This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken, but still good.”

The New Cast of Lilo & Stitch

Lilo

Maia Kealoha

It wouldn’t be Lilo & Stitch without Lilo! And for this live-action remake, Disney went straight to the tropical paradise to find the perfect little girl to play the fiery Lilo.

Lilo will be played by newcomer Maia Kealoha. This will be Maia’s first role in Hollywood. According to her IMDB, Maia is a native Hawaiian and was born on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2016. She loves her Hawaiian culture and has a passion for both hula dancing and surfing. If you’ve seen Lilo & Stitch, then you know that those are both things that Lilo loves as well!

Stitch

Chris Sanders

Since Stitch is an alien experiment from another planet, he will be created through CGI technology. But Disney fans will be thrilled to know that Stitch will be voiced by Chris Sanders. Sanders was the original voice of Stitch and has continued to voice the little alien in every film, television show, and video game that has been made since the original 2002 movie.

In fact, we can thank Chris Sanders for the entire Lilo & Stitch universe! Sanders was the creator and writer of Lilo & Stitch. Sanders first created Stitch back in 1985 as a book idea, but it didn’t go anywhere. Then, when he worked in Disney Animation, he pitched the idea again, and, voilà!

Nani

Sydney Elizabeth Agudong

Sydney Agudong does not have too much Hollywood experience, but the Hawaiian actress is sure to breathe new life into Lilo’s older sister, Nani. In addition to acting, Agudong is also a singer and songwriter.

Related: I Wanted Nani to Look Like Me – Disney Faces Colorism Accusations

Agudong first broke into Hollywood in 2013 but then took an 8-year break from acting. Since her return in 2021, Agudong has been working steadily and has appeared in several movies, television shows, and YouTube web series.

Dr. Jumba Jookiba

Zach Galifianakis

Stitch — or Experiment 626 as he is known on his home planet — was created by Dr. Jumba. He was created for the sole purpose of causing destruction and chaos. And boy is he good at that. Jumba is sent to Earth to retrieve Stitch or pay the consequences for coming back empty-handed.

Jumba will be voiced by the wickedly funny Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis is well-known for starring in films like The Hangover, Birdman, and Masterminds. He has also worked with Disney in the past. Galifianakis starred in the 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time as Happy Medium.

When his casting was first announced, it was said that Zach Galifianakis would be playing Pleakley. However, with further casting information being revealed, we can now confirm that he will be Dr. Jumba.

Pleakley

Billy Magnussen

Dr. Jumba can’t be trusted to venture to Earth and bring Stitch back by himself. So, the Intergalactic Federation sends along Agent Pleakley to make sure things go smoothly.

Pleakley will be played by Billy Magnussen. Magnussen has quite an extensive career in Hollywood, starring in such films as Into the Woods, No Time to Die, The Big Short, and Spy Kids: Armageddon. Disney fans may also recognize Magnussen as Prince Anders, from Disney’s 2019 live-action Aladdin. Prince Anders was the ridiculous prince from Skanland, who hoped to win the heart of Princess Jasmine.

David Kawena

Kaipo Dudoit

Kaipo Dudoit is another relative newcomer in Hollywood. In 2021, he appeared in one episode of Magnum, P.I. , and in 2023 he appeared in the film My Partner. Dudoit will be playing David Kawena, Nani’s best friend and potential love interest. Dudoit is a native Hawaiian who will be able to honor his native roots with this new role.

Cobra Bubbles

Courtney B. Vance

Since Nani is young and in charge of her younger sister, the government wants to make sure Lilo is being well taken care of. Their caseworker is an intimidating man with a less intimidating name — Cobra Bubbles. Mr. Bubbles will be played by beloved actor Courtney B. Vance.

Related: Disney Appears to Erase Popular Character From Live-Action Lilo & Stitch

Vance has been in Hollywood for 40 years, appearing in a number of hit films and television shows like The Hunt For Red October, American Crime Story, and Lovecraft Country. He also voiced Merlin Kelly in Disney’s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Mrs. Kekoa

Tia Carrere

Tia Carrere is a name that you may recognize, but her role is one that you will not. Tia Carrere voiced Nani in the original animated film. Disney wanted to honor the actress and her dedication to the original film, so they crafted an entirely new character just for her.

Carrere will play Mrs. Kekoa, another social worker whose job is to check in on Lilo. Disney has not said how she will interact with Mr. Bubbles.

Disney has described Mrs. Kekoa as, “a practical, by-the-book, kind, and patient woman who checks in regularly with Nani, whom she can tell is struggling to keep her head above water while taking care of her younger sister. However, she can’t help but be alarmed by what she finds at the house, unnerved to think that young Lilo is not receiving the supervision she needs. Later, Mrs. Kekoa has no choice but to look for a satisfactory foster family.”

Tūtū

Amy Hill

Tūtū is another new character that was created for the Lilo & Stitch live-action remake. She will be voiced by Amy Hill, who voiced Lynne Hasagawa in the original film. Ms. Hasawaga was the cat-loving woman who owned a fruit stand.

In the new movie, Tūtū will be Lilo and Nani’s friendly next-door neighbor, as well as David’s grandmother. In a casting call, Disney described Tūtū as “kind and hospitable”. She is also “a warm, quick-witted woman who speaks with a local Pidgin accent.”

Who Is Making the Live-Action Movie?

Disney loved how the original animated Lilo & Stitch turned out, so they decided to bring back a number of people responsible for the first film’s success. The original film was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Sanders and DeBlois have returned to write the second film, with Chris Kekaniokalani Bright joining them. 

Like some of the cast, Bright is relatively new in Hollywood. According to his IMDB, he worked as an additional crew member on Disney’s 2016 film, Moana. Other than that, Bright’s only credit is as a writer of the short film Tsuru.

Dean Fleischer Camp has been brought on to direct the Lilo & Stitch remake. Fleischer Camp is best known for creating the short Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, a 2010 short about an adorable mollusk. In 2021, the short film was made into a full-length feature film.

Originally, Disney had tapped Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu to direct the new Lilo & Stitch remake, but things did not come together. Chu was also supposed to help direct Disney’s failed Willow series for Disney+, but scheduling conflicts got in the name. However, Chu did become a part of the Disney family when he helped produce the Beauty and the Beast 30th Anniversary celebration.

Controversies Surrounding the Lilo & Stitch Remake

As with other Disney live-action remakes, Lilo & Stitch has faced its fair share of controversy. When some of the cast was first announced, Disney was accused by some of “colorism.” Colorism is defined as discrimination against people of darker skin tones, mainly by those who are of the same ethnic or racial group.

Primarily, the issue was with the casting of Sydney Agudong as Nani. In the original animated film, Nani is portrayed as 100% native Hawaiian. Agudong is multiracial with Hawaiian ancestry. There were many who were excited that Disney was casting people from the Hawaiian islands to play the popular characters. Others were hoping that Disney would cast someone more native with more Hawaiian ancestry than Agudong.

Accusations of colorism were not the only controversy Lilo & Stitch has faced. Originally, Kaipo Dudoit was not cast to play David. Hawaiian native Kahiau Machado was given the role.

Not long after Kahiau Machado was cast, people started trying to learn more about the unknown actor. It was then discovered that Machado had made some racist comments on social media. A Spotify playlist belonging to Machado was also discovered, and the N-word was used as a phrase to describe the songs he likes. The discovery was made so quickly that Disney never even officially confirmed Machado’s casting before he was replaced by Dudoit.

The “Leaked” Photo of Stitch

One of the largest emerging pieces of technology is artificial intelligence. Countless images and videos have been created using AI, and they look so real that people can’t help but wonder if they are legitimate.

Back in April, a photo went viral appearing to show a new CGI version of Stitch that Disney was preparing to use in the new live-action film. Fans were absolutely horrified. The little blue creature looked NOTHING like the animated version that fans had come to know and love. It appeared to be made of felt and was just awkward.

Thankfully, the image was proven to be fake and fans breathed a sigh of relief. Disney has not yet shared an image of the Stitch that has been created for the new movie.

Will Lilo & Stitch Be Released in Theaters or On Disney+?

At this time, Disney has not confirmed how it plans to release its live-action Lilo & Stitch, but it is largely expected that the film will be released directly to Disney+. However, one of Disney’s last live-action remakes — The Little Mermaid — performed very well in theaters, making more than $500 million worldwide. So, Disney may see how interested people are in the live-action Lilo & Stitch before they decide if they want to release it in theaters or on Disney+.

When Will Lilo & Stitch Come Out?

Disney has not yet shared a release date for Lilo & Stitch. Disney Fanatic is keeping a close eye on any updates for the remake and will share a release date as soon as one is announced.