After years of speculation and a denial in 2021, Chris Sanders will be giving life once again to the dog-like alien character Stitch in the upcoming Disney live-action adaptation film Lilo & Stitch.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive, he is returning alongside Sanders are Tia Carrere and Amy Hill. Carrere and Hill portrayed Nani and Mrs. Hasagawa in the 2002 animated film and the 2003-06 animated series. In the live-action adaptation, they will portray new characters Mrs. Kekoa and Tutu, respectively.
Sanders is not the only voice of Stitch but also its creator. From 2002 to 2006, he also co-directed Lilo and Stitch (2002) and Lilo and Stitch: The Series (2003-06) alongside Dean DeBlois. In a 2022 interview with SYFY wire, Sanders claim that Disney has not approached him yet
Sanders, Carrere and Hill would be joined by other casts such as Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong as Nani (Lilo’s sister), and Kaipot Dudoit as David Kawena (Nani’s significant other). Kahiau Machado was supposed to play as David Kawena. However, during the vetting process, Machado’s previous social media posts were revealed that were known to express racial slurs. Machado’s casting is not confirmed by Disney.
Dean Fleisher Camp is set to direct the live-action remake. The production of the film is set in Hawaii and is about to be released on streaming platform Disney+.
The film tells the story of how a lonely human girl formed a family-like relationship with a creature named Stitch that is genetically-bound to be a force of destruction. Despite dealing with social workers and other aliens that keeps on knocking on the door in pursuit, the two characters are bound to share the value that ohana means family and the meaning of it that no one gets left behind.
The script was written by Chris Kekaniokalani while Mike Van Waes wrote the original screenplay for the adaptation.
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