A Hawaiian girl on the island of Kaua’I stumbles upon a strange dog at the local animal shelter and immediately adores it, insisting that her sister buy it. Her older sister, uncertain, agrees in hopes it gives her sister a new friend.
In 2002 Walt Disney Animations produced Lilo & Stitch, the sci-fi comedy that taught the world ‘ohana’ means family and family means nobody is left behind or forgotten. It was a box-office success gaining approximately $273 million worldwide. The movie also received positive reviews with 7.3/10 on IMDb and an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film proved to be such an achievement that Disney would announce the live action remake.
Lilo & Stitch, the live action remake is set to be released this upcoming summer on May 23, 2025. According to The Hollywood Reporter, voice actors from the original movie are to be returning for the live action. Such as Chris Sanders, the voice of Stitch, Tia Carrere, the original voice of Nani, and Amy Hill, original voice of Mrs. Hasagawa. However, while Sanders will be returning in the role of Stitch, Carrere and Hill will be returning as new characters, Mrs. Kekoa and Tūtū. New actors will be featured too such as Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as her older sister Nani Pelekai. Others include Kaipot Dudoit as Nani’s love interest David Kawena and Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba. Fans know just how eccentric and thrilling the storyline as well as the original characters are within the original film. However, with these aspects in mind, fans did not waste any time to speak out about the casting choices. Despite Agudong’s Hawaiian descent, fans bombarded Disney with statements claiming she isn’t exactly the best fit for the character Nani.“…people have taken to social media to scrutinize the appropriateness of her casting given the actress’ light skin tone…” Edward Segarra, journalist, said in an article for USA TODAY . Fans claim Disney is following down the path of colorism due to Nani having a darker complexion than Agudong, arguing that it would have been more appropriate for Disney to cast an actress closer to Nani’s appearance.
Recent cinema CGI has not received much light from viewers due to the lack of quality. This can be proven by the most notable Sonic the Hedgehog during its early teasers, as well as The Flash and the poor CGI controversy following the movies. However, in spite of this trend, fan reactions to leaks of the CGI Stitch have been well above positive. In response to Disney’s first teaser trailer posted on Nov. 25 on Youtube fans, “flock[ed] to YouTube’s comments section to voice their excitement.” writes Maz Iqbal and Hamaiz Iqbal, journalists, in an article for The Mirror. The teaser trailer exposed fans to the chaotic behavior of Stitch put into CGI form. “[Stitch] looks good, like he looks a lot like the cartoon. He looks real but still cute and cartoony.” Lorenzo Mena, third grader at Painted Rock Academy, commented.
Fans’ standards still remain high for the remake of this animated classic. One of the most common things fans hope for is the closeness to the original classic. “I don’t like it when the directors change the plot to be more original because it changes the original story.” Brisa Duenas, sophomore, said. Especially in terms of classic Disney films, fans look for how close remakes actually follow the authentic story. Others have their eyes set on the quality of everything, such as actor performances. Fans even feel a closeness to the film, having grown up watching this Disney classic, they hope to feel that same connection with the remake. “I hope that the remake provides the same comfort to me as the original did when I was younger.” Kiera Track, senior, shared during an interview.
The remake faces numerous challenges in terms of the original animated film. From fan expectations to a glowing trend in CGI and the possible downsides of it. The live action broadcast can be the make or break for the beloved movie Lilo & Stitch.
