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Given the live-action fatigue that movie-goers have understandably been suffering in recent years, the reaction was somewhat tepid when Disney inevitably announced a reboot of its 2002 animated classic, Lilo & Stitch.
With lackluster live-action versions of everything from Aladdin to Pinocchio already under their belt, the House of Mouse had much to prove when executing a remake of perhaps their most beloved title. Fears were only heightened by the fact that, if it were anything like the terrifying CGI fish in The Little Mermaid, Stitch might end up looking more like nightmare fuel than the cartoon alien we know and love.
Thankfully, however, it seems the sentiment around Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch might be changing, following the release of the first teaser trailer for the upcoming movie. The new (and far too brief) clip shows Stitch doing what he does best: causing havoc and adorably destroying everything in his path. In this case, the subject of his destruction is a sand version of the iconic Disney castle, which is promptly made into ruins in the hands of the titular alien.
In the 30-second teaser, we get a sweeping shot of the ocean and a front-row seat to Stitch’s castle demolition, as well as a title card and Stitch’s infamous grunts and giggles. While it was brief, the clip was enough to reassure many Disney fans that perhaps this reboot might have some promise after all. “This is starting to grow on me a bit,” one user wrote on X, “I hated the first images, but this doesn’t look that bad.” Sharing a similar sentiment, another fan agreed that while they were “worried at first,” the teaser “do[esn’t] look so bad.”
The broad consensus seems to be relief, especially around Disney’s rendering of Stitch for the live-action version. “Honestly I was scared of how this would look but I love,” one user wrote, before sharing their excitement that “the music is back.” Other fans seemed pleasantly surprised while writing “wait this actually looks good, hold on,” or simply declared that they “can’t wait” for the movie to arrive. The fan response must feel like a win for Disney, since the live-action Lilo & Stitch was dogged by controversy basically ever since it was first announced.
The studio received criticism midway through last year when it announced that the iconic role of Cobra Bubbles would not be played by Ving Rhames — the actor who voiced the character in 2002 — but instead by Courtney Vance. Then, Disney was yet again under fire for the casting choice of light-skinned Hawaiian actress Sydney Elizabeth Agudong in the role of Nani, which some took as evidence of whitewashing. Meanwhile, Kahiau Machado — who was tapped to play Nani’s love interest David Kawena — was at the center of similar accusations given his lighter skin tone.
This is starting to grow on me a bit. I hated the first images, but this doesn't look that bad.
— Jeremy H. 🦉🏁 (@JeremyH418) November 25, 2024
Alongside Vance, Agudong and Machado, the cast of Lilo & Stitch also includes Chris Sanders, who will reprise his role as the original Stitch voice actor, as well as Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Billy Magnussen as the voice of Agent Pleakley, and Zach Galifianakis in an unspecified role. The film is set for release on May 2023, 2025, and joins a host of fellow upcoming live-action remakes like Snow White, Moana, Hercules, and Mufasa: The Lion King.