Summary
- The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake has faced numerous production delays due to ongoing strikes in the film industry, potentially impacting its release.
- Controversy surrounding the casting choices has further complicated the release of the live-action Lilo & Stitch.
- Disney may choose to either delay the film or opt for a streaming release on Disney+, considering the uncertainty surrounding its release date and the changing landscape of box office returns for live-action adaptations.
The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake will re-tell the 2002 animated Disney movie of the same name, but because of delays surrounding the movie is unclear what the film's release will look like. What sets Lilo & Stitch apart from other Disney films is that it is an original story from the studio and not an adaptation of another story or fairy tale. In Lilo & Stitch, an alien crash-lands on Earth in Hawaii where he is mistaken for a stray dog. A young girl named Lilo adopts him and names him Stitch, and the two live with Lilo's older sister Nani.
In recent years, Disney has increased the number of live-action adaptations of previously animated films following the success of Maleficent in 2014, Cinderella in 2015, and The Jungle Book in 2016. The live-action WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there is the possibility that the release plans for the Lilo & Stich remake may change.
Production Halted On Live Action Lilo And Stitch Due To Strikes
After being announced in 2018, the filming start date was pushed back twice before the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie officially began filming in May 2023. However, filming for Lilo & Stitch stopped midway through July 2023, possibly pushing back its unannounced release date even further. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America went on strike as part of a labor dispute regarding how writers are treated in the film and television industries. Because the screenplay for Lilo & Stitch was already written, this strike did not delay the production of the Disney film.
Weeks later on July 14, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, an actors' union, went on strike as well, marking the first time Hollywood actors and writers have gone on strike at the same time since 1960. The SAG-AFTRA strike immediately halted production of Lilo & Stitch, as actors belonging to the union cannot participate in ongoing productions and cannot promote new releases they are involved in.
The Live-Action Lilo And Stitch Controversy, Explained
Production being delayed and then completely stopped is not the only issue facing the release of the live-action Lilo & Stitch. When casting for the remake was announced, there was an immediate backlash against the actors cast as Nani and her boyfriend David. Sydney Agudong was cast as Nani in the film, and Disney was accused of colorism with Agudong's casting, as the actress is significantly lighter-skinned than the original character (although she is Hawaiian). The casting of Kahiau Machado was met with similar criticism, and after it was revealed that Machado once used a racial slur on social media, Disney cast Kaipo Dudoit as David in Lilo & Stitch instead.
In addition to the casting backlash regarding colorism, Lilo & Stitch fans were also hopeful that the original Cobra Bubbles voice actor Ving Rhames would be cast as the character again in the live-action version. Instead, Courtney B. Vance was cast as Cobra Bubbles in Lilo & Stitch, a casting choice that fans of the original film protested. To top off this controversy, in April 2023, an image of a live-action Lilo and Stitch leaked online, and fans expressed how poor the CGI of Stitch looked. However, this controversy was quickly resolved when it was revealed that the photo was an AI-generated image and not a leak.
Disney May Still Release On Schedule
Before production for the live-action Lilo & Stitch remake shut down, the movie still did not have an official release date. Because of this, it is unclear if the release of the movie is technically behind because of the strikes, or if Disney did not have a set release date in mind yet. Additionally, because filming began at the beginning of May, Lilo & Stitch most likely did not have that much more principal filming to complete before production was stopped. According to The Direct, the live-action adaptation only had a week of filming left.
Even if this speculation is wrong, based on the initial proposed filming schedule, Lilo & Stitch most likely only had two to three weeks of filming left. This means that Disney could have enough footage to continue onto the next stage of production and Lilo & Stitch could remain on schedule. However, even if principal filming resulted in enough footage to move forward, there is always the chance that the film could need reshoots. If Lilo & Stitch requires reshoots while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA is still ongoing, the studio will have no choice but to delay the film.
Disney May Delay, Or Move To A Streaming Release
With so much uncertainty about the release date of Lilo & Stitch, there is also the question of whether the movie will receive a theatrical release or be released directly to streaming on Disney+. Disney experienced success with its earlier live-action adaptation release model, leading the studio to release five live-action adaptations in 2019 alone. However, there has been a shift in box office returns and critical reception with some of its more recent releases. Despite its large budget, 2023's The Little Mermaid was a box office disappointment compared to other remakes, and 2022's Pinocchio and 2023's Peter Pan & Wendy were released directly to streaming.
Compared to a few years prior, it is clear that Disney has become more conservative with its release schedule for live-action adaptations. However, it is unclear how much longer the Hollywood strikes will continue or what the financial outcome will be, making it difficult to predict what Disney will decide to do about the live-action Lilo & Stitch. Along with an overall change in consumer habits, Disney has also faced multiple controversies and delays regarding the movie. Because of this, it is possible that the studio could use footage from principal photography to make a Disney+ release that is not delayed and focus theatrical efforts on other live-action films.
