Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake just secured its first major cast member. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zach Galifianakis has booked a leading role in the upcoming film, which re-imagines Disney’s 2002 animated feature in live-action. Unfortunately, the studio declined to reveal the identity of his Galifianakis’ character.
The original movie followed the budding friendship between a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo and Experiment 626, a genetically-engineered alien creature whom she finds and renames Stitch after he escapes from his laboratory prison and subsequently crash-lands on Earth. As the two characters bond, they are also forced to hide out from human social workers and the alien agents hunting them down.
It’s hard to speculate on the nature of Galifianakis’ role in the remake. After all, most of the major characters in the original film are either Hawaiian or alien. But in theory, he could be playing one of the main extraterrestrials through the use of motion capture technology. Meanwhile, a “wide search” is currently underway for actresses to embody both Lilo and her older sister, Nani. In the animated version, those characters were voiced by Daveigh Chase and Tia Carrere, respectively.
RELATED: Dean Fleischer-Camp Will Direct the Live-Action Lilo & Stitch Movie
Last summer, Dean Fleischer-Camp signed on to direct Lilo & Stitch following the success of his latest film, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Chris Kekaniokalani Bright re-wrote the screenplay from an earlier draft by Mike Van Waes. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich are producing the movie for Rideback. Additionally, Ryan Halprin will serve as an executive producer on behalf of the company.
Disney hasn’t announced a release date for Lilo & Stitch, but the film is expected to premiere on Disney+.
Who do you think Galifianakis is playing in the movie? Tell us your theories in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
