If you’re a 2000s kid, 90% of your childhood was dominated by Lilo & Stitch reruns on Disney Channel. Two decades later, can Disney recapture the same magic in live-action? Judging by this 30-second preview…. maybe?
The brief teaser begins with an expansive wide shot over the Pacific Ocean before landing on a Hawaiian beach, where a version of the Disney castle lies in sand form.
Suddenly, a noticeable blue leg kicks the sand castle over. It’s Stitch! As the teaser draws to a close, the iconic blue quadrupedal alien cackles and gleefully mows through a row of sand castles in his path.
I normally don’t cover teasers as brief as this, given the little amount of footage. But Lilo & Stitch was near and dear to my childhood, so I had some very defined thoughts. First off, Stitch’s design: he looks phenomenal. Following the tepid reception to the naturalistic designs in The Lion King (2019), it’s nice to see Disney allowing “live-action” CGI creations to retain some extra expressiveness.
This version of Stitch still feels more solid and realistic, but moves and emotes with enough speed and theatricality to not neuter his character. It’s hard to say how well he’ll blend with human actors, but with original voice actor Chris Sanders back in the V.O booth, the character’s core remains just as lovably chaotic as we remember.
Now, the slightly worrying part: the expansive shot over the ocean worries me slightly. Yes, I know it’s brief, but it hints at Disney trying to give this version more of a grand blockbuster scope, which it doesn’t need. Lilo & Stitch thrived because it felt small-scale. A tight-knit community with no frills. Each environment felt tight, lived-in, and homey. I worry that that lo-fi touch will be smoothed over for a more generic “family-friendly tentpole” look which would remove much of the story’s uniqueness. Combined with some questionable casting choices (Zach Galifinakis as Jumba being the real puzzler), and it begins to feel like Disney trying to bulk up a story that felt most comfortable when it slowed down.
But, as always, I’m reserving my judgement until I see more, and I hope that Disney can recapture the nostalgia of my childhood once more.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo & Stitch will release theatrically in the US on May 23, 2025. The movie stars an ensemble cast led by Chris Sanders reprising his role as the voice of Stitch.
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