The upcoming live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has found its newest lead. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Sydney Agudong will portray Nani Pelekai, the older sister and legal guardian of Lilo Pelekai. Tia Carrere voiced Nani in the 2002 animated film.
Agudong is a Hawaiian actress who was born on the island of Kaua’i. She recently had a leading role in an upcoming independent movie, At Your Feet. Her other credits include NCIS, West Michigan, On My Block, and Infamously In Love.
According to THR, Disney has not yet cast the voice of Stitch in the film. Within the original movie, Stitch was originally called Experiment 626, and he fled to Earth avoid being put down by The Galactic Federation. To blend in with the local population, Stitch passed himself off as a dog, and he was soon adopted by a troubled young girl named Lilo.
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Newcomer Maia Kealoha is set to play Lilo in the film, and the remake will presumably retain the occasionally strained relationship between the sisters. Following the death of their parents in a car accident, Nani took it upon herself to raise her younger sister. However, Stitch’s antics and Lilo’s misbehavior made it difficult for Nani to retain custody of her sister.
So far, the biggest name in the cast is Zach Galifianakis, who will play Galactic Federation Agent Wendy Pleakley. Kevin McDonald voiced Pleakley in the original film, where he and Stitch’s creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba, were ordered to track down Stitch on Earth.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On director Dean Fleischer Camp is set to helm the Lilo & Stitch remake. It will be a Disney+ original film, but it does not currently have a release date.
What do you think about Sydney Agudong playing Nani in the Lilo & Stitch remake? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
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