The Disney live-action projects continue. After movies such as "The Lion King", "The Jungle Book" and "The Little Mermaid", the next animated classic is now being given a makeover: we're talking about Lilo and Stitch! This new adaptation has already caused a lot of controversy even before filming started. In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about the "Lilo & Stitch" live-action movie!

The Story of Lilo & Stitch

Just like its predecessor, the new production focuses on a familiar theme: a child has to overcome a great adventure with his animal companion. In 2002, "Lilo & Stitch" told the story of the little blue alien Stitch, who was created by a genetic experiment and ends up on Earth - in Hawaii to be precise - as a result of an incident. There he meets Lilo, who lives with her big sister Nani after their parents' passing. The two become friends and then face all kinds of dangers. According to initial information, the content of the live-action remake will be based on the popular original.

The Cast

Newcomer Maia Kealoha has been cast in the lead role of Lilo. Chris Sanders, who already voiced the cute alien in the original cartoon version, will also be back in the remake. We can further expect Billy Magnussen as Agent Pleakley, Tia Carrere as Mrs. Kekoa and "Hangover" star Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba.

Stitch's New Look

Of course, fans are particularly excited about Stitch's new look: the lovable alien has no doubt melted millions of hearts and made everyone smile in his cartoon look. It will be anything but easy to adapt Stitch to 3D while retaining his incomparable character. Actually, there has not been any image material of the new version of the alien so far, although all sorts of AI-generated variants are of course already being shared online.

The Scandal

The fact that Disney is increasingly having to deal with criticism and hostility regarding its live-action adaptations is nothing unusual. Even "Lilo & Stitch" has not been spared: this time it is about the casting of actress Sydney Agudong, who will play the role of Lilo's big sister Nani. Critics accused Disney of so-called whitewashing with her casting. Despite Agudong herself being of Hawaiian descent, she does not correspond to the portrayal of Nani in the animated film. There, the character was characterized by a significantly darker skin color and black hair.

Critics were not impressed by the argument that Disney cast an African-American actress in the live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid". According to them, "Ariel" was not based on cultural origin, whereas this was the case with "Lilo and Stitch".

The Production

Similar to "Peter Pan & Wendy", the live-action film adaptation of "Lilo & Stitch" will not be making it to theaters: The movie will be released exclusively on the in-house streaming service Disney+. The film will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who has already won over audiences with the Oscar-nominated stop-motion film "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On".

Filming kicked off in May 2023, but was initially slowed down due to the Hollywood strikes. Apart from a few leaked set photos, there has been hardly any image or video footage to date - so it remains unclear to what extent the remake can capture the look and feel of the original. An exact debut date for "Lilo & Stitch" on Disney+ has not been set yet, but according to insider reports, it will be as early as June 2024.