The new, live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has brought back three voice actors for a full-circle moment.
If you didn’t know, Tia Carrere played Lilo’s older sister Nani in the original 2002 animated film. Meanwhile, Jason Scott Lee played Nani’s boyfriend David, and Amy Hill played the fruit vendor Mrs. Hasagawa.
Now, the three also have roles in the 2025 live-action version of the film. Tia now plays Mrs. Kekoa, a social worker who handles Lilo and Nani’s case. Jason now plays the character of Nani’s boss at the Luau, and Amy plays Tutu, Nani and Lilo’s next-door neighbor.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp recently explained the thought process behind the casting.
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“We didn’t write those characters for specific people. We had planned to just do auditions with all of their characters. We were just focused on trying to tell a good adaptation, and it kind of just worked out in our favor that like, ‘Oh, we have this character that’s the perfect age,’” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“When happy accidents happen, it’s miraculous. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is that new scene of Mrs. Kekoa advising Nani. I love that you could read it as an older version of Nani advising her younger self on how to live and how to overcome these challenges. It’s really sweet from that perspective,” he added.
Producer Jonathan Eirich also weighed in on the new characters.
“Tutu was a good example of a symbol of the authenticity of Hawaii that we’re trying to bring. That came out of our Hawaiian screenwriter, Chris Bright, who said, ‘I don’t know that everyone would turn their back on two kids in Hawaii who lost their parents. There is a community and culture here that would reach and be there as support for her,’” he said.
“We took the idea of maybe Nani’s a character whose stubbornness is part of her issue. She has to prove that she can do everything on her own. She’s so dedicated to being this type-A person. But you have to let other people help you, let this extended ohana come in and help you,” he added.
Lilo & Stitch is currently in theaters.
Earlier this week, Dean addressed some controversy surrounding the new Lilo & Stitch.
Source: justjared.com