Disney’s Lilo & Stitch Remake Goes After Crazy Rich Asians Director Jon M. Chu
Courtesy of movieweb.com:
Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is reportedly in talks to helm Disney’s upcoming Lilo & Stitch remake. It is believed that the studio is currently looking for a writer to take on one of the most beloved Disney animated stories. Mike Van Waes wrote the current draft for the remake, though it is unclear if the studio will go ahead with that particular story or not. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, producers of the live-action Aladdin remake, are producing, while Ryan Halprin is on board as an executive producer.
The Lilo & Stitch live-action remake was first announced in 2018 and it has since been revealed that it will premiere exclusively on Disney+, though that could change in the coming months. It had previously been reported that production was set to begin on the live-action/CGI hybrid this fall in Hawaii, but that obviously did not end up happening. For now, it looks like Disney is pushing the development process along, while keeping an eye on the public health crisis at the same time.
While it has not been officially confirmed, it is believed that Disney is looking to bring Chris Sanders back to voice Stitch. From the sound of things, Stitch will be computer animated, while interacting within Lilo’s real world. Some Disney fans have been heavily skeptical of all the remakes taking place, but they have, for the most part, been box offices success stories. The Lion King and Aladdin were two of the most protested of the remakes, and they went on to do a whole lot better than even the studio anticipated.
The original Lilo & Stitch was not a box office success upon its release in 2002. However, it quickly went on to become a cult favorite and Stitch is one of the more popular characters walking around Disneyland and Disney World, at least during normal times when both parks are open. As is the case with all of the Disney live-action remakes, there will be people who love it and people who refuse to even watch it. One particular challenge for Jon M. Chu when remaking Lilo & Stitch will be the unique look that the original animation had.
Jon M. Chu recently boarded another Disney project as the director of the long-awaited Willow series. Chu is on board to direct the pilot and it’s unclear if he will go on to do more episodes. As for the live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, it’s unclear when production will begin, but one can imagine that they’ll be hard at work on it at some point next year. We still have to wait for a writer to come on board and then the casting process too. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to announce that Jon M. Chu is in talks with Disney to direct the live-action Lilo & Stitch remake.
