As the song sort of goes, There is no place we'd rather be, than sharing a new trailer for Dean Fleischer Camp's live-action Lilo & Stitch movie. And, handily enough, today the House of Mouse has delivered precisely that — our first proper look at what the Marcel The Shell With Shoes On director has in store as he prepares to bring Experiment 626 into a whole new CGIve-action (as nobody is calling it) dimension.
Okay, if we were somewhat apprehensive about a live-action Lilo & Stitch before, then consider us sold now. Introducing Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani, Kaipot Dudoit as David Kawena, and reintroducing Chris Sanders as our bestest lil' blue guy, this first full trailer for Camp's film strikes that perfect balance between capturing the sci-fi-meets-Hawaii, fish out of water (or alien out of space) stylings of Dean DeBlois and Sanders' 2002 classic and teasing the kind of tender, quirky character work that made Marcel The Shell With Shoes On such a rootable gem. And, as well as having the Elvis soundtrack and familiar catchphrases we know and love all present and correct ("Ohana means family", "cute and fluffy", y'know, the instant heart melters), now that we've seen Stitch in full flow, interacting with a human cast, any fears of pre-makeover Sonic uncanny valley shenanigans have been safely put to bed.
Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, who previously worked behind the scenes on Moana 2, has handled the script for this one, which is set to retell the story of how Hawaiian orphan Lilo comes to adopt genetically engineered extraterrestrial Stitch and welcome him into her family. Among the ensemble playing the aliens out to find Stitch and the humans looking to welcome him into their hearts are Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance and Hannah Waddingham, who are set to star alongside original voice actors Sanders, Tia Carrere, Amy Hill and Jason Scott Lee.
We can look forward to finding out whether Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch is vile, foul, and flawed — or just, y'know, cute and fluffy — when we say aloha to Dean Fleischer Camp's movie on 23 May.
