TRAILER: Lilo and Stitch (2025)
Earlier today, Disney released a full trailer for their live-action Lilo and Stitch remake. Starring Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Agudong as Nani, and Chris Sanders reprising the role of Stitch, this version of Lilo and Stitch is a reimagining of the beloved 2002 original Disney animated film. It’s the classic story of a lonely child and their new pet, but with a twist: Lilo can be strange and even morbid, and Stitch is an alien monstrosity created in a lab. It worked 23 years ago in an otherwise bleak period for Disney, and they think it will work again now. Check out the new Lilo and Stitch trailer here:
Like most of the more recent live-action remakes of Disney’s animated classics, I’ve been opposed to the existence of this thing from the start. Lilo and Stitch isn’t even a fairy tale or folk tale that welcomes reimagining; it’s an original, modern (for the time), wacky story. I don’t understand why this was ever a candidate for a remake – at least, beyond the money, which is all Disney really cares about. I feel bad for Maia Kealoha because she is so young, but based on this trailer, her performance looks pretty bad. She doesn’t enunciate well (even compared to Daveigh Chase’s 2002 performance), her emotions don’t come out clearly, and she seems distracted. I don’t blame her because of her age and lack of experience; the only other credit I could find for her is as a background voice actor in Moana 2. But I’m afraid she’ll be crucified like other child actors have been for less-than-stellar performances when the real enemy here is Disney and its insistence on this film’s existence. Lilo is also very young in the original movie, but one of the benefits of animation and voice acting is that Daveigh Chase was about 10 when she recorded her dialogue. I can easily imagine a 10-year-old grasping the art and concept of acting more than a 6-year-old.
The cast of the Lilo and Stitch remake is otherwise somewhat impressive. Tia Carrere, Jason Scott Lee, and, of course, Chris Sanders return in varying capacities. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen play Jumbaa and Pleakley, and Hannah Waddingham voices the Grand Councilwoman. All of these actors are too good to be here, and I’m particularly baffled by Hannah Waddingham’s involvement. She isn’t tied to the original, and any prim and proper Englishwoman could play this part. I guess she needs work outside of Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso, but this is just… sad. Meanwhile, at least in the trailer, all the music used is from the original. Both the slate of Elvis classics and the film’s original song, “He Mele No Lilo,” are used in the trailer alone. I try not to judge movies solely on their trailers and marketing, but there’s just nothing appealing here. Anything that was originally interesting is devoid of the charm and character in the original movie. Even some of the jokes are simply copy-pasted from the original, like the fat guy with the ice cream cone, and that, too, lacks what made it funny in the animated movie: the exaggerated proportions and deadpan expression of the animated character. In addition to the comedic aspects of the story falling flat, Stitch is creepy and ugly rather than cute and endearing. I can’t imagine this working in the film’s favor since it hinges on the familial bond between Stitch and the Pelekais.
But what do you think? Did you enjoy this trailer, and will you watch the Lilo and Stitch remake? Let us know in the comments below!
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