A remake of Lilo & Stitch will be heading to Disney+ in the near future. According to a report by The DisInsider, the film will begin shooting in Hawaii this Fall. Similar to Disney’s other remakes of their classic films, it will be a blend of live-action and CGI.
The original Lilo & Stitch released in 2002. It focuses on an alien genetically engineered for destruction who escapes to Earth. There, he is adopted by Lilo, a lonely Hawaiian girl who mistakes him for an ugly dog. Stitch learns through the power of family to be something more than a weapon. But he must also deal with his mad scientist creator, who is constantly tracking him.
Disney released the movie during what is known as their Experimental Era in the early-mid 2000s. But while many releases during this time period (like Home on the Range and Chicken Little) didn’t do well, Lilo & Stitch was one of the more successful ones. Worldwide, it brought in around $273 million on just an $80 million budget. This, in turn, brought about straight-to-DVD sequels and a Disney Channel series.
Reports of this remake first began to circulate in 2018. But news of the project has been scarce until now. Mike Van Waes, writer of the upcoming The Conjuring spin-off called The Crooked Man, will write this script. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who produced 2019’s Aladdin, will also produce Lilo & Stitch. Chris Sanders, who voiced Stitch in the original, will return. At the moment, the project has no director. There is also no release date.
Disney has been remaking its catalog with more ferocity each year. In 2019, Disney released 4 remakes, including Disney+’s Lady and the Tramp. However, the reception for these remakes varies drastically. For every stellar The Jungle Book, there’s an embarrassing Alice Through the Looking Glass. Hopefully, the reimagining of Lilo & Stitch lands on the same side as the former.