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Credit: DisneyWe have less than two weeks to go before Disney’s newest live-action remake, Lilo & Stitch, premieres in theaters nationwide. The film is based on the 2002 animated movie and tells the story of Experiment 626, AKA Stitch, a little blue alien who crash-lands on Earth and only knows how to cause chaos.
He is adopted by a young girl named Lilo, who shows him that he is capable of love and can be part of a family. Together, they keep to each other safe and prevent Stitch from being taken back to his home planet.
Related: Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Trailer Just Made History—Here’s Why Fans Are Shocked
Disney’s live-action remakes have proven themselves to be somewhat controversial, and the studio’s most recent release, Snow White, was a massive flop that had a lot of problems before even making it into theaters. Snow White’s failure was so large that Disney even decided to put its planned live-action remake of Tangled (2010) on indefinite pause.
However, Disney won’t have that same problem with Lilo & Stitch, which premieres in theaters on May 23. Fans have been excited about the remake since the trailer’s release, and ticket pre-sales have already surpassed every other PG movie this year. And according to Fandango, sans have also voted it one of the top family films they are looking forward to this year.
Disney’s live-action remakes are never the same as their animated counterparts, and Lilo & Stitch is no exception. One of the biggest changes made to the film has been met with a lot of backlash.
In the animated film, Dr. Jumba is sent to Earth to retrieve Stitch, and his mission is being overseen by Agent Pleakley. The two alien lifeforms try to blend in with the humans, with Pleakley donning makeup, a blonde wig, and a dress.
However, early on, it was revealed that Pleakley — played by Billy Magnussen — would not be cross-dressing in the remake, and in the trailer, he and Jumba are seen as regular men.
Fans were disappointed in the change and accused Disney of “un-woking” the remake. Fans loved Pleakley’s attempt to dress as a woman, and they were upset that Disney chose to take away such an iconic moment.
Related: VIDEO: Stitch Wreaks Havoc as Disney Promotes Newest Live-Action
Lilo & Stitch director Dean Fleischer Camp took to TikTok to answer some questions about the new movie and acknowledged that he has been repeatedly asked about deciding to remove Pleakley’s gender-bending outfits. He then admitted that he had tried to incorporate it into the movie, but it just didn’t work. He then showed images from the original concept art, which showed Pleakley wearing a dress and wig.
“I have had people message me, ‘Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress? And I just want to say, I tried… I tried.”
@marceltheshellwshoeson
Tickets for Disney’s Lilo & Stitch are now on sale, and the film will premiere in theaters nationwide on May 23. The film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Agudong as Nani, Kaipo Dudoit as David, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and Hannah Waddingham as the Grand Councilwoman. Chris Sanders has also returned as the voice of Stitch.
Were you disappointed to learn that Pleakley would not be disguising himself as a woman in the live-action remake? Or are you glad to see him and Jumba as regular people who blend in better? Do you think it makes the moment less funny? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!