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Disney’s trend of remaking beloved animated classics into live-action films has continued with Lilo & Stitch. Following several cast announcements and some early controversy, the live-action version is set to hit theaters this year.
The original animated movie was released in 2002 and made over $273 million at the box office. The film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. The story revolves around Lilo and her older sister Nani following the death of their parents. Lilo ends up adopting Stitch, an extraterrestrial creature, as her “dog.” Through Stitch’s time with Lilo and Nani, he learns the true meaning of family.
The success of Lilo & Stitch spawned a franchise that included three direct-to-video sequels. The movie also led to three television series, including Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Over 20 years after the original film, Lilo & Stitch is headed into live-action territory.
So, who is playing Lilo? Do we know who is voicing Stitch? Is there a release date yet? HollywoodLife has rounded up everything we know so far about the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie.
Disney has announced that the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie will be released on May 23, 2025.
It is expected to debut on Disney+.
The live-action Lilo & Stitch movie will feature an all-new cast. Newcomer Maia Kealoha will play Lilo. Sydney Agudong is set to play Nani. Sydney, who is also a singer, previously appeared in On My Block and NCIS.
No Time To Die alum Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis have also joined the cast of the live-action movie, Deadline reports. Magnussen will play Pleakley, an alien from the planet Plorgonar and a former member of the United Galactic Federation, acting as the organization’s expert on Earth. Galifianakis will portray Dr. Jumba Jookiba, the evil genius scientist who created Stitch to cause chaos across the galaxy.
Obviously, Stitch will be created using CGI technology. As for the voice, Chris Sanders, who voiced Stitch (Experiment 626) in the original animated film and also directed and wrote it, will reprise his role as the voice of Stitch. In a 2022 interview with SYFY Wire, Sanders expressed his curiosity about how Stitch would be adapted in the live-action version. He said, “I think the most obvious thing is Stitch has to be Stitch, visually [speaking]. Details count, so I’d be very curious how they handle Stitch’s textures … If he’s not the same shape, he’s not the same character … Staying true to his appearance will be critical.”
Other cast members include Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, Hannah Waddingham as Grand Councilwoman, Amy Hill as a new character named Tutu, and Tia Carrere reprising her role as Mrs. Kekoa.
The Lilo & Stitch live-action film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who is best known for directing Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Sydney Agudong’s casting as Nani sparked debate about whether or not Disney whitewashed the character. Sydney is multiracial and a native of the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, but there have been discussions about colorism since Nani is a dark-skinned Hawaiian character.
“Not being Indigenous or from a PoC community, it may not be easy to see a problem with this casting, but within our communities this is a big issue,” one person tweeted. “Nani is Indigenous Hawaiian with strong features and dark skin, this casting is blatant colorism.”
Another person tweeted, “No hate towards the actress but you can’t tell me this is Nani! The colorism is astounding! Why not hire a dark skin native Hawaiian?!”
Others came to Sydney’s defense. One person wrote on Twitter, “This is Sydney Agudong, born & raised on Kauai. She is British/Irish/Filipino/Hawaiian or as we say in Hawaii, ‘Hapa Haole’. Today should be one of the best days of her life, she got the role of a lifetime as “Nani”. Instead, she wakes up to hurtful outrage she doesn’t deserve.”
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