Last July, it was announced that Dean Fleischer-Camp, the filmmaker behind Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, will direct Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch.
The remake is said to follow the same story as the 2002 animated film which follows the friendship formed between a lonely human girl named Lilo and an alien named Stitch. The original movie was written and directed by Chris Sanders who also provided the voice for Stitch. It’s being reported that Sanders will return to voice Stitch for the live-action version as well.
We now have some new details on the film from The DisInsider. The outlet reports that casting is currently underway, and revealed the following details on the different roles courtesy of Knight Edge Media. Disney is currently casting for the roles of Lilo, Nani, Tutu, Mrs. Kokea, and David. Fans of the original film will easily recognize Lilo, Nani, and David however, Tutu and Mrs. Kokea are new characters created for this live action interpretation. Tutu will be an elderly neighbor of the Pelekai’s who understand their struggles as she has known the girls for years. More controversially, Mrs. Kokea will replace Mr. Bubble’s role from the original film, as a social worker who checks on Nani and Lilo. It is currently unknown if Mr. Bubbles will be making an appearance in the film or if his role has been completely removed.
In addition to the above casting details, the outlet reports that the role of Nani has already been cast and been filled by Moana star Auli’i Cravalho.
As always, since nothing has been confirmed by Disney, we will treat this as a rumor for now.
Previously it was reported that Chris Kekaniokalani Bright was in negotiations to write the script for the remake.
Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback (2019’s Aladdin) are producing the film, with Ryan Halprin serving as an executive producer.
Filming on the project is expected to begin in February 2023.
Source: Knight Edge Media via The DisInsider