‘Lilo & Stitch’ Casting Update: Chris Sanders Returning as Stitch, Zach Galifianakis Playing Jumba; Filming Now Underway

Lilo & Stitch

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumblings about the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch film for Disney Plus, and now we have another major update.

 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ensemble has just added a few new names, and we now also know who is playing who. First and foremost, Chris Sanders, who wrote and directed the animated original along with Dean DeBlois, is in final negotiations to return as the voice of Stitch, an alien experiment that six-year-old Lilo adopts as a dog. Newcomer Maia Kealoha is playing Lilo, with Sydney Agudong cast as Lilo’s sister, Nani.

 

The first name added to the cast was Zach Galifianakis, who The Hollywood Reporter now confirms is playing Jumba, the alien mad scientist who created Stitch; Billy Magnussen is playing his partner, Pleakley. This week it was also reported by Deadline that Courtney B. Vance would be joining the cast as Cobra Bubbles, a social worker investigating whether Nani is a suitable tutor for Lilo. Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original Lilo & Stitch, is returning for the live-action remake in a new role, Mrs. Kekoa. Amy Hill will be playing a new character named Tūtū.

 

Initial reports had Kahiau Machado as Disney’s choice to play David, Nani’s love interest. However, it seems like the deal fell apart during Disney’s vetting process, when social media posts pointed to the actor using racial slurs. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the part will now be played by Kaipot Dudoit. Roles that remain to be filled include Captain Gantu, an alien tapped to extract Stitch from Earth, and Lilo’s classmates, including her bully-of-sorts Mertle, among other secondary characters.

 

Filming is currently underway in Hawaii, with Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel The Shell With Shoes On) directing and Chris Kekaniokalani Bright at the keyboard. Dan Lin and Rideback’s Jonathan Eirich are producers, with Ryan Halprin of Rideback and Tom Peltzman executive producing. Nigel Bluck is the cinematographer, Todd Cherniawsky is the production designer, and Wendy Chuck is the costume designer.

 

Lilo & Stitch is being made with Disney Plus in mind, but Bob Iger could change his tune if he decides, like Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, that they will never turn a profit on the film by dumping it on streaming. A release date has not been set.

 

The next live-action remake from Disney will be David Lowery’s Peter Pan and Wendy, which starts streaming on Disney Plus next Friday, April 28. The Little Mermaid will open in theaters one month later, on May 26.