‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Movie: Everything We Know So Far

“Lilo & Stitch,” the hit sci-fi comedy-drama animated film from 2002, is coming back to the small screen with a twist as Disney is developing a live-action movie adaptation.

Despite being in the early stages of development, there are already a few details about the project circulating online. A new update released Thursday revealed that the live-action film secured a director.

Dean Fleischer Camp, the director of the indie comedy “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” was tapped to step in for Jon M. Chu, who was previously pegged to helm the project, Variety reported.

Chu was attached to the project when it was first announced in November 2020, but his deal was never finalized.

The “Lilo & Stitch” remake will mark Camp’s first live-action film with a major studio. His latest project, the A24 animated pic “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” has been performing well at the locations where it is showing. It is expected to earn more through its wider theatrical release.

On the other hand, negotiations are reportedly still ongoing for the film to secure Chris Kekaniokalani Bright as screenwriter, even though Mike Van Waes already produced a previous draft. Meanwhile, there’s still no word on which actors have been tapped to join the project.

Deadline learned through unnamed sources that Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are producing the live-action remake, while the film production company’s Ryan Halprin is executive producing.

It is not clear if Disney intends to release the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” in cinemas, its Disney+ streaming service or both.

The original animated film was directed and written by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. It featured the voices of Daveigh Chase as Lilo, Tia Carrere as Nani, David Ogden Stiers as Dr. Jumba and Sanders as the titular alien character.

“Lilo & Stitch” is not the only animated film to get a live-action remake at Disney. The studio has been reviving many of its animated titles in an effort to reintroduce them to the new generation. Among the films that have gotten their live-action versions are “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Mulan.”