Disney’s live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” broke Memorial Day box office records, but behind the numbers, the film faces growing criticism from longtime fans. The film brought in over $183 million domestically and $341 million worldwide, according to Variety, contributing to a record-breaking holiday weekend. Still, many fans were left disappointed by changes to the beloved 2002 original.
What is a live-action remake?
A live-action remake is a movie adaptation using real actors and sets instead of solely animation. These versions aim to bring animated classics into a more realistic format, though they can come with creative risks and backlash from those who want the remake to follow more closely to the original.
Casting sparks colorism accusations
One of the earliest controversies surrounding the film came when Sydney Agudong was cast as Nani, Lilo’s older sister. Although Agudong is from Hawaii, some fans felt her lighter skin tone didn’t align with Nani’s original darker-skinned design.
Social media reactions were swift. One Reddit user wrote, “There are so many Hawaiian women who would have been a better fit for Nani.” Another on X said, “Disney casting a half-white lightskin girl as Nani in Lilo & Stitch is my villain origin.”
Pleakley’s character change disappoints fans
In the animated version, alien character Pleakley often dressed in women’s clothing and wigs — a character trait fans appreciated for its humor and representation. But in the live-action remake, Pleakley appears disguised as a man and only dresses in masculine clothing.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp addressed the omission on TikTok. “I have had people message me, ‘Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?’” he said. “And I just want to say, I tried… I tried.”
Nani’s custody decision draws criticism
One of the most emotionally charged changes in the remake stems from a major plot twist: Nani relinquishes custody of Lilo to pursue higher education. In the original, Nani fights to keep her family together after the death of their parents.
Fans argue this change undercuts the heart of the film — its core theme of “ohana,” the Hawaiian concept of family. In the original film, characters memorably say, “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind.”
Cobra Bubbles and missing characters
Fans also noticed a different backstory for Cobra Bubbles. In the new film, Bubbles is a CIA agent investigating how Stitch got to Earth. Originally, he was Lilo and Nani’s case worker after their parents passed away.
Another major omission? Captain Gantu — the original film’s main villain — is left out of the remake entirely.
“We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision,” Fleischer Camp told CinemaBlend earlier in May. “I feel like a lot of the things that in trying to ground these characters more and tell a story with a little more emotional depth, especially between the sisters, I feel like you have to free up real estate to allow that breathing room to do those things.”
Recasting after online backlash
Kahiau Machado was originally cast as David, Nani’s love interest. But old social media posts resurfaced shortly after showing him using racial slurs and comparing himself to Rosa Parks. A Disney fan site also discovered he created a playlist with a racial slur in the title.
Machado posted an apology video saying he had grown since making those comments as a teenager, but that video was later deleted. Disney ultimately replaced him with Kaipo Dudoit.
Delays plagued production
The live-action remake was first announced in 2018 by The Hollywood Reporter, but it faced multiple setbacks. The pandemic delayed initial plans, and a fire broke out in a trailer on set in 2022, triggering an arson investigation. Production resumed in April 2023 but was shut down again in May due to the writers’ strike, then paused further when the actors’ strike began that summer.
A pattern of live-action backlash
The controversy around “Lilo & Stitch” fits into a broader pattern of criticism aimed at Disney’s live-action remakes. The “Snow White” remake, for example, has faced its own casting controversy and concerns.
Critics online argued that Rachel Zegler, who is of Polish and Colombian descent, doesn’t match the original description of Snow White’s character as having skin “as white as snow.”
It premiered on March 22 and struggled to meet expectations. Despite a production budget of $240 million, the film made just $42 million during its opening weekend. It has also been “review-bombed,” becoming one of the lowest-rated movies on IMDb.
Many people suggested the film’s poor performance was partially due to Zegler’s progressive political takes online.
Meanwhile, it was reported in April that Disney was pausing its live-action remake of “Tangled” due to the fallout from “Snow White.”
Similarly, the live remake of “The Little Mermaid” saw controversy after actress Halle Bailey was cast as the main character. Critics suggested her casting took away from the original film’s traditional portrayal of Ariel as a white woman.
