2025 will see Disney continuing to release live-action remakes of the studio’s animated classics, and the star of one of them has shared their hope that audiences will give the movie a chance to tell its own story. Many of Disney’s live-action remakes have drawn criticism for making changes to the classic stories that have been loved by generations, andLilo & Stitch (2025)will be doing something similar when it is released sometime next year. StarBilly Magnussenrecently shared his thoughts withCollider, alluding to the movie’s own message when asking for audiences to “embrace” the new movie.
“I hope they embrace it as its own story. When they make these live-action films, sometimes I think people hold on to what the other one was, and they’re not in competition. Finding family and friends, being an outcast, and finding your community and your family. I would hope you wouldn’t fight that, and embrace that.”
Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch is a live-action remake of the 2002 animated sci-fi adventure comedy directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. Based closely on the original, this remake follows a young girl who lives with her sister and has trouble fitting in at school. Her fortunes change when she meets a mysterious alien experiment named Stitch, who she claims is her pet dog, setting the stage for an intergalactic adventure in Hawaii.
Magnussen’s note about audiences directly comparing old and new versions is certainly close to the truth of the matter. Over the last several years, Disney’s releases of movies such asThe Little Mermaid, Dumbo,and evenThe Lion King, have been criticized for a variety of reasons ranging from the addition of more diverse characters, removing problematic plot points, or losing the emotional qualities that are achievable when working in an animated format rather than with “live” animals.Lilo & Stitchis just one of the upcoming movies that will run the gauntlet of public opinion and nostalgia when it is released, but it will probably not be the most controversial Disney remake of the year.
Billy Magnussen on His Cowardly Coup! Character and the Live-Action Lilo & Stitch
The charming star dives into his film Coup! with Peter Sarsgaard and teases his series The Franchise from the creator of Veep.
Snow White Has a Much Bigger Battle on Its Hands
While thefirst footage of Stitch in live-actionreceived some mixed reviews, in general the idea of the 2002 animated movie being remade has not received an overwhelming amount of hate online. Perhaps this is partly to do with the fact that Stich is currently – and bizarrely – one of Disney’s biggest selling characters, having soared in popularity in the last few years for no apparent reason. Also, it is hard to people to find much controversy when dealing with the replication of a blue alien creature, unlike, say, a near-90-year-old white-skinned Disney Princess and her seven vertically challenged housemates.
Yes, whatever backlashLilo & Stitchis facing, it is nothing compared to thechallenges facing the upcoming remake ofSnow White, which sees Rachel Zegler taking on the title role, and has constantly been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Whether it isracial backlash over the casting of Zegler, or complaints about the CGI versions of the seven dwarfs, the 2025 release has been bashed constantly by select groups on social media.
Live-Action Snow White Trailer Releases to an Already Hostile Fanbase
Rachel Zegler stars in Disney’s new remake of Snow White, and they released the first trailer during D23.
While this has been countered on several occasions by Zegler herself, and others such asThe Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey – who received similar treatment for taking on the role of Ariel in last year’s release – there will no doubt be plenty more complaints to come before the movie even arrives in cinemas. Magnussen’s comments on wanting fans to giveLilo & Stitcha chance to be its own movie are perhaps ones that are also applicable to many other movies released in the coming years.
