Disney has been making a fortune remaking their classic animated films as live-action (or live-action/motion capture hybrid) films. To date, almost every major film between Walt’s era and the “Disney Renaissance” of the ’90s has either gotten a remake or is on the docket to get one. Now, Disney has announced, via the Hollywood Reporter, that their first remake of an animated film from this century is on its way, as the animated favorite Lilo & Stitch is getting the live-action treatment.
This reimagining of the 2002 film, which tells the story of a young Hawaiian girl who befriends a spazzy alien, will be written by Mike Van Waes and produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, the pair behind the upcoming live-action retelling of Aladdin. It’s unknown at the moment if this movie will go premiere on the upcoming Disney streaming service, like Lady and the Tramp will, or if Disney is planning a theatrical release. No release date has been given, but we wouldn’t expect this one before 2020.
The original Lilo & Stitch came out in the summer of 2002, and was one of the last hits the company had in traditional 2D animation. At the time, Pixar and other 3D animated movies were cleaning up at the box office for Disney, but much of their hand-drawn animated movies were not hitting with audiences. Eventually, they stopped making 2D animated films completely, which most fans feel is a real shame.
But Lilo & Stitch charmed everyone. The original movie spawned several direct-to-video sequels, and also a television series, as well as an attraction at Walt Disney World.The original film was heavily influenced by the music of Elvis Presley, and featured many of his songs. It will be interesting to see if Disney carries this theme over into the remake, or changes it up for a more contemporary artist. Personally, I’m hoping the King stays.
What do you think of Lilo & Stitch getting the live-action remake treatment? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
Images: Walt Disney Company
