Lilo & Stitch director Dean Fleischer Camp addresses why one of the most controversial elements of the upcoming live-action reboot was changed from the original 2002 animated movie. The upcoming feature will reimagine the sci-fi comedy tale of a lonely girl befriending a strange creature that ultimately turns out to be an escaped alien experiment. Lilo & Stitch sees Chris Sanders return to provide the voice of the titular alien, while Maia Kealoha and Sydney Agudong will take on the roles of sisters Lilo and Nani.
While audiences continue to debate whether the upcoming Lilo & Stitch reboot can live up to the original movie’s legacy, Camp opened up to SFX Magazine (later reported by The Direct) about one element that has been controversial online. Honing in on Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) and Pleakley’s (Billy Magnussen) haphazard disguises on Earth, the director confirmed that the pair would employ technology that allowed the actors to play their alien characters in disguise as opposed to the pair using odd pieces of clothing, but would be faithful to the original movie’s tone. Check out Camp’s explanation below:
We’re doing something a little different with Jumba and Pleakley… It’s my favourite kind of story. The audience is going to find themselves falling into a trapdoor of emotion at some point.
What Lilo & Stitch’s Disguise Controversy Means For The Remake
The Gag Could Be Controversial Among Certain Audiences
Though a small running gag throughout the original movie, the decision to give Jumba and Pleakley holographic disguises has emerged as one of the biggest points of debate surrounding the reboot. Despite their incredibly amateurish disguises that had many wardrobe malfunctions, both aliens were able to fit in on Earth despite obviously not being human, leading to many outlandish scenarios. However, many have surmised that the production pivoted away from this gag for several reasons.
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Some viewers have surmised that higher-ups behind the scenes may have requested that the gag be removed from the Lilo & Stitch reboot due to the humor potentially being viewed as outdated, given how Pleakley mainly disguises himself as a woman. Others have hypothesized that the decision was more rooted in a move to appease conservative pundits who could potentially spark discourse about Pleakley’s gender non-conforming disguises. Regardless, it is likely few will be satisfied by the movie’s ultimate decision.
Our Take On Lilo & Stitch’s Controversial Pleakley Choice
The Movie Has High Expectations
Disney’s live-action remakes have reached a critical point, as the lackluster box office performance and critical reception of Snow White has led to questions about the future of live-action remakes that are in development. As such, there are high expectations of how Lilo & Stitch will perform at the box office to determine how the studio will move forward. With this, it is clear that Camp’s response is an attempt to reach out to audiences who may be skeptical of whether the movie can live up to the original movie’s legacy.
Source: SFX Magazine (via The Direct)
Lilo & Stitch
- Release Date
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May 21, 2025
- Runtime
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108 Minutes
- Director
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Dean Fleischer Camp
- Writers
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Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes, Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
- Producers
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Tom C. Peitzman, Dan Lin, Ryan Halprin
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Chris Sanders
Stitch (voice)
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Billy Magnussen
Pleakley (voice)
