Another Disney remake, another controversy. Fans of the animated studio are taking issue with the redesign of a character from Lilo & Stitch in the upcoming live-action film.
After the trailer was released, director Dean Fleischer Camp posted a video answering fans' questions about the film.
One of the characters people focused on was antagonist Pleakley, who is on a mission to hunt Stitch after the blue alien experiment escapes to Earth and lands in Hawaii.
Highlights
- The Disney Lilo & Stitch live-action remake will feature a change in the appearance of the antagonist, Pleakley.
- Director Fleischer Camp said he “tried” to have the character wear women’s clothing, as Pleakley did in the original film.
- Pleakley, an alien, disguises himself as a female tourist to blend in with humans while attempting to capture Stitch in Hawaii.
To succeed in his mission and go unnoticed among humans, Agent Pleakley disguises himself as a female tourist, wearing dresses and wigs.
Unlike in the original 2002 cartoon, both Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba, another antagonist, are dressed in men's clothing in the new trailer.
Disney fans are slamming the animation studio for changing a character's look in the Lilo & Stitch remake
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
Responding to a comment that read "How dare they ruin Pleakley's disguise like that," director Fleischer Camp revealed: "I have had people message me, 'Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?' And I just want to say, I tried… I tried."
He also shared a sketch of his initial concept for the one-eyed extraterrestrial character, depicting it wearing a red wig, a long floral dress, and sandals.
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
In the comments, people accused Disney of rejecting a faithful adaptation for political reasons.
"When he said he tried, he means Disney said no. Given the political climate, it's not shocking Disney wanted no part. Sad, but I won't blame the director. I'll blame Disney," one viewer wrote.
Another said: "If Disney is afraid to include drag, and you recognize that as shameful, why go?"
"Disney is such cowards if they don't include Pleakley in a wig and dress," a third agreed. "We're really regressing."
Director Dean Fleischer Camp suggested he wasn't allowed to include Agent Pleakley, one of the villains, dressed in women's clothing
Image credits: Image credits: Disney / YouTube
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
"Thank you for trying to give us the Auntie Pleakley we deserve. ❤️ I'm not blaming you at all for Disney being Disney, but as a member of the LGBTQIA community, it's very depressing. Especially now," shared someone else.
Another person asked: "I have a question. What's up with casting a non-native Hawaiian in the very few kanaka characters like Nani?"
The live-action remake will hit theaters on May 23
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
While Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, who plays Lilo's older sister Nani, is Hawaiian, some people have accused Disney of whitewashing and colorism, arguing that the role should have gone to a Native Hawaiian with a darker skin tone.
Siena Agudong is a mixed-race woman born and raised on Kaua'i to a Caucasian mother and a Filipino father.
The rest of the cast includes Chris Sanders (who voices Stitch, reprising his 2002 role), Maia Kealoha (Lilo), Zach Galifianakis (Dr. Jumba Jookiba), and Billy Magnussen (Agent Pleakley).
In the film, Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba are two aliens who disguise themselves as women to blend in with humans while trying to capture Stitch
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
Disney had to recast Kahiau Machado, who was to play David Kawena, Nani's surfer boyfriend, when he was found to have used a racial slur on Instagram and Spotify. The role was then given to Kaipo Dudoit.
Fleischer Camp previously directed the stop-motion film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film in 2023.
The movie previously faced controversy when Kahiau Machado, who was originally cast as Nani's boyfriend, was found to have used a racial slur
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
His revelations come after Disney was criticized for using CGI (computer-generated imagery) to create Snow White's seven dwarfs in the live-action remake instead of casting actors with dwarfism.
Amid the controversy, actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism and has played disabled characters throughout his career, called the film a "backward story."
Image credits: Disney / YouTube
In response, Disney stated that they had made the decision "to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film" and that they had consulted "with members of the dwarfism community."
"Given the political climate, it's not shocking Disney wanted no part," one person wrote
Image credits: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube
The film failed to attract audiences, reportedly grossing $145 million worldwide, falling far short of the $270 million it cost to make.
As per the Hollywood Reporter, Disney paused the live-action remake of its 2010 animated Rapunzel musical Tangled after the underwhelming release of Snow White.
Tangled's pause follows the departure of several key executives who had helped shape Disney's live-action strategy.
Image credits: imdb
Still, the animation studio is set to unveil a live-action version of the beloved Moana next year, with Dwayne Johnson reprising the role of Maui. The animated sequel, Moana 2, grossed $1 billion and became the third-highest-grossing film of 2024.
The Lilo & Stitch remake will hit theaters on May 23.
One person said they were "bored" with live-action remakes and preferred watching the original films again
