Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Film To Be Directed By ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Helmer Jon M. Chu
Lilo & Stitchis one of the most beloved Disney Animation movies from the early 2000s, and considering one of Disney’s biggest moneymaking tactics recently has been to remake its animated classics in live-action, it was only a matter of time before this one found itself in contention for a new version. A remake has actually already been kicking around fora little over two years, but now it seems to have found a director inJon M. Chu, the filmmaker behindCrazy Rich Asiansand the upcomingIn the Heights.The Hollywood Reportersays Chu is in negotiations to direct a live-actionLilo and Stitchremake, which may or may not be released theatrically but could just as easily end up going directly to Disney+.
Mike Van Waes, who wrote the upcomingThe Crooked Manspin-off ofThe Conjuring 2, wrote the current draft of the screenplay, but the report says a new writer will be hired to work with Chu on the script. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation,Step Up 2: The Streets,Now You See Me 2) recently made headlines bysigning on to direct theWillowTV seriesfor Disney+, so he has a relationship with the studio already. If theymustgo ahead with a remake of this movie, he strikes me as a solid choice to direct it.
Here is the original 2002 movie’s synopsis, for anyone who missed the movie when it came out originally:
A tale of a young girl’s close encounter with the galaxy’s most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small ugly “dog,” whom she names Stitch. Stitch would be the perfect pet if he weren’t in reality a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and crash-landed on Earth. Through her love, faith and unwavering belief in ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family, Lilo helps unlock Stitch’s heart and gives him the ability to care for someone else.
Lilo and Stitchwas not a box office smash, and while it has some vocal advocates, it’s arguably one of the studio’s lesser movies of this century. (Its watercolor backgrounds were a bold choice, but I personally thought it made the movie feel a little cheap in comparison to some of the other Disney titles being released around that time.) But the characters are unquestionably cute, and character design like that goes a long way when it comes to selling toys and merchandise, whichLilo and Stitchhas done in a major way since its release.Dan LinandJonathan Eirich, who produced Disney’s billion-dollar live-action remake ofAladdin, are producing this film as well.
