Disney’s Lilo & Stitch Remake Director Has Reasonable Explanation For Changing A Key Detail In Lilo’s Introduction Scene

2025’s Lilo & Stitch understandably makes some changes to the original 2002 animated movie, but even a minuscule one spotted by long-time fans has been explained by the director. In the original film, one of Lilo’s beloved quirks is her routine with Pudge the fish, to whom she brings a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every Thursday. She also says that Pudge “controls the weather,” and it is widely believed that she feeds him so he will not cause a storm that will cause another car accident like the one her parents died in.

However, in the live-action movie, Lilo brings Pudge a different sandwich (lettuce and tomato), which director Dean Fleischer Camp actually explained to USA Today. Check out his comments below:

Peanut butter didn’t read very well underwater […] The process of adapting one of these films thoughtfully is taking every piece that you like from the original and saying, “Does that work in live-action?” And if not, what is something that has the same essence?

What The Change Means For Lilo & Stitch’s Pudge

Pudge Still Gets His Sandwich

It is a good thing that Lilo & Stitch kept Lilo’s ritual with Pudge, making an effort to translate it into live-action, as it is a fan-favorite part of the original. Ultimately, it doesn’t affect the story that Pudge doesn’t receive peanut butter sandwiches, and it’s understandable that the filmmakers didn’t like how that looked underwater. Crucially, the live-action remake doesn’t change it to a tuna sandwich, as, in the original film, Lilo was late for hula because she had to go buy peanut butter when all they had was tuna, which she couldn’t feed to a fish.

In the remake, Lilo still mentions Pudge’s powers, but this comes across as more of a joke. This is because the movie doesn’t explain how Lilo and Nani’s parents died, which has upset some fans because it takes away the meaning of her needing to feed Pudge. This was where an error was made, but otherwise, the director is right, because the story beat still “has the same essence,” regardless of the type of sandwich.

Our Take On Pudge In The New Lilo & Stitch

They Should Have Shed Light On Lilo’s Thought Process

I would’ve liked to see the new Lilo & Stitch include more of Lilo’s original dark imagination, such as her creating voodoo dolls to punish her bullies. Her feeding Pudge, who she thinks can affect the weather, is presented as just a little girl’s imaginings, rather than the logic to it that puts Lilo’s character in a different light. Still, I would assume that Lilo’s parents died the same way despite the lack of clarification, and I am glad that they retained some parts of this moment, but really couldn’t care less what sandwich she feeds him.

Source: USA Today

Lilo & Stitch

7/10

Release Date

May 21, 2025

Runtime

108 Minutes

Director

Dean Fleischer Camp

Writers

Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes, Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

Producers

Tom C. Peitzman, Dan Lin, Ryan Halprin

• 

• 

  Chris Sanders

  Stitch (voice)