Disney has been releasing live-action versions of classic animated films at a rapid pace for years. Some are a hit, others are met with strong criticism. “I could learn from that,” says director Dean Fleischer Camp of the new Lilo & Stitch.
Although the original Lilo & Stitch is already 23 years old, producer Jonathan Eirich noticed that its popularity has increased again in recent years. “You saw more and more Stitch merchandise appearing: backpacks, lunch boxes, T-shirts, he seemed more popular than ever,” he tells NU.nl. “So we had to get the remake right.”
The animated film was a big hit, grossing $273 million worldwide at the time and is still in the top twenty of most successful animated films ever.
The film is set in Hawaii and tells the story of six-year-old Lilo, an outsider who loves Elvis Presley and prefers to be in nature. Together with her older sister Nani, she tries to stay afloat after their parents died. Social services are watching them closely and warn: Nani must provide stability, otherwise the sisters risk being separated.
One day, Lilo finds a strange creature in the shelter, which she mistakes for a puppy and calls Stitch. But Stitch turns out not to be an ordinary dog: he is an alien experiment, which completely turns Lilo’s already complicated life upside down.
‘Or Course, Not Everyone Will Love It’
Lilo & Stitch is already the 23rd remake of Disney. Not all of those films were met with positive reviews. For example, the dwarves in Snow White were said to be “too scary” and several princesses were said to be played by actresses who did not resemble the cartoon character. “I’ve seen almost all the remakes for inspiration,” says Fleischer Camp. “You learn from the successful films, but also from the less successful ones. I’ve done my best, and what others think of it is now beyond my control.”
The director himself is a big fan of the animated film and especially doesn’t want to disappoint the loyal fans. “Of course, not everyone will love it,” he says. “But I think 99 percent of the fans will notice that this film was made with love, by someone who loves the original just as much as they do.”
For the makers, it was therefore essential to preserve the heart of the original film. “We re-involved the people who worked on the original. Because not only did Stitch’s appearance have to be right, we also had to recapture the ‘soul’ of the character,” says Eirich.
Stitch was brought to life completely digitally and only added to the film later. “We looked at elements from nature, such as seal eyes and llama fur, to make him as believable as possible in a real world,” says Eirich.
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Watch the Trailer of Lilo & Stitch
Dog Causes ‘Pure Chaos’ on Set
The blue creature was therefore nowhere to be seen during the shooting days with real actors. That made acting extra challenging for six-year-old Maia Kealoha, who is making her acting debut with Lilo. “There was a doll that Maia could use as a sparring partner. She became so attached to it that she said goodbye with a kiss every night,” laughs Eirich. “Sometimes we even used a dog as a ‘stuntman’ for Stitch, but that caused pure chaos on set.”
In contrast to some earlier Disney remakes, which copy the original almost shot for shot, the makers of Lilo & Stitch were given more freedom. New characters and scenes have been added. “Of course, those adjustments had to fit within the world of Lilo & Stitch,” explains Fleischer Camp. “I think it’s successful if the viewer wonders whether something is new, or comes from the original.”
Lilo & Stitch can be seen in cinemas from today.