Director Chris Sanders was the creative genius behind the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch.When he heard that fellow filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp was working on a live-action remake, he jumped at the chance to be part of it.
Speaking to MovieWeb, Sanders explained how he got involved with the project. "The director contacted me about a year and a half ago," the director, who also provided the voice for Stitch, said. "He texted me or emailed me, and he said, 'Would you be interested in reprising your role as the voice of Stitch?' So I immediately wrote back and said, 'Absolutely.' I still do all the recordings of him. I do them for parades, for toys, for ice shows, things like that. I would love to do it for the film."
"So he ended up calling me up on the phone, and we were supposed to talk for like 10 minutes," Sanders continued. "We ended up talking for like two hours, and it was just the best conversation. And we talked a little bit about the DNA of the film, and he asked me a few questions." The filmmaker also talked about the production process, and offered some insight into how much work had already been done on the movie.
The Live-Action Remake Will Remain Faithful To The Original
"So I have already recorded four different recording sessions," Sanders added. "I would expect that I have maybe possibly one last recording session, if there's anything that we need to pick up, to the very end of the film. However, I have not seen the finished film, because it was still in progress when I did the recording sessions. So I can say I have seen bits and pieces, but I have yet to see the finished film because I don't think it's quite finished yet."
The live-action Lilo & Stitch will remain faithful to the original film's plot. The story follows a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai who is being raised by her older sister, Nani. The latter took on a caregiver role after their parents' deaths. Lilo's life takes a wild turn when she finds Experiment 626, a genetically engineered alien designed to be a force of destruction. She decides to keep the creature as a pet and gives him the name "Stitch."
The film will see Maia Kealoha make her feature-length acting debut as Lilo Pelekai. The cast also includes Zach Galifianakis, Courtney B. Vance, and Hannah Waddingham. After fans raised some concerns about the remake, Billy Magnussen, who voices Agent Pleakley, encouraged them to give the project a chance. "For me, Lilo & Stitch was such an important thing about people being isolated and not in their community and finding connection. Why would we not want to celebrate that in life?"
The live-action Lilo & Stitch will hit theaters on May 23, 2025.
Source: MovieWeb
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