Chris Sanders is in final negotiations to voice the character of Stitch in the Disney live-action movie Lilo and StitchAnd Hollywood Reporter to learn.
Tia Carrere, who originally voiced Nani in the first film, will also play the newly created Mrs. Kekua, while Amy Hill will play a new character named Tito.
Sanders, who wrote and directed the original feature alongside Dean DeBlois, voiced the creature, which he also created, in 2002. Lilo and StitchBeside Lilo and Stitch: The Series (2003-06). Sanders has been rumored to return to Stitch for years, but in a 2022 interview with SYFY WireHe said he was not officially contacted by the studio.
Newcomer Maya Kealoha plays Lilo, while Sydney Elizabeth Agudong plays Nani. Kahiau Machado was cast as David Kawena last week, but has since been recast with Kaipot Dudoit. During the Disney vetting process, previous posts in which Machado used racial slurs were revealed exposed on social media. Machado’s casting has not been officially confirmed by Disney.
Zach Galifianakis joined the cast in February as Jumba, with Billy Magnussen as Blakely and Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles completing the cast.
Dean Fleischer Camp, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-nominated indie darling and Best Animated Feature Marcel the projectile with shoes, is directing the remake that is intended to be a major release on Disney+. Production is officially taking place in Hawaii.
The Hawaiian-centric story tells of the bond formed between a lonely human girl named Lilo and a dog-like alien named Stitch, who was genetically engineered to be a force of destruction. With nosy social workers and chasing aliens knocking at the door, the two bond over a shared sense of family and winning the day.
Chris Kekanyokalani Bright wrote the screenplay for the adaptation. Mike Van Weiss wrote the original screenplay.
Dan Lin and Jonathan Erich of Rideback are producing. Rideback’s Ryan Halperin is an executive producer alongside Tom Peitzman. The creative team consists of production designer Todd Cherniewski (Obi-Wan KenobiAnd Star Trek: Picard); Director of Photography Nigel Block (The unbearable weight of enormous talent) and the second unit DP (Lord of the rings triple, dead pool); Visual effects supervisor Craig Hammack (Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverAnd Black PantherAnd Tomorrowland); and fashion designer Wendy Chuck (About SchmidtAnd Nebraska And Grandsons).
The original movie was released in 2002 and was a huge hit, grossing over $273 million worldwide based on an $80 million budget. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.
Sanders represents WME and Lichter Grossman.
