Shyama Krishna Kumar

DUBAI: The beloved Disney animated classic “Lilo & Stitch” — about a six-year-old orphaned Hawaiian girl and her troublemaking alien pet — is set to captivate audiences once again with a live-action adaptation released this week. 

Director Dean Fleischer Camp and producer Jonathan Eirich are both driven by a deep love for the original film, released in 2002.  

“It’s always been my favorite animated Disney movie,” Fleischer Camp revealed to Arab News. “I saw it when it came out and immediately fell in love with it, like so many people did.” 

Eirich described signing on Fleischer Camp as “kismet,” adding, “It really is about finding storytellers that are fans of the original, that can honor it so every single choice along the way is going to be made with love and authenticity. If you do that right, and make the thing that you love, then hopefully the audience will feel the same.” 

Eirich noted the growing nostalgia surrounding Stitch, observing how the character has been increasingly appearing in popular culture.  

“We started seeing backpacks and merchandise everywhere,” he explained. “It felt like the right moment to revisit this story, but we knew we had to get it right. We asked ourselves what elements fans would be upset about losing.” This philosophy guided the creative process, ensuring the film would feel both familiar and fresh.  

Certain iconic moments from the animated version were non-negotiable. The hammock scene with Lilo’s older sister Nani singing and the final beach scene were particularly important. 

“The scene when Nani sings ‘Aloha Hawaii’ was a real tearjerker in the original, and it’s a beautiful moment. But it also seems like, with a live-action adaptation, there’s an opportunity to kind of deepen it and really make it something new, while also capturing the beautiful spirit of that scene,” said Fleischer Camp. 

For Eirich, Stitch’s famous quote about finding his own ‘family’ was a clear keeper.  

“The line ‘Broken but still good’ had to be in there,” he said. “It’s the heart of the story.”