The following contains spoilers for the ending of the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch.
The Lilo & Stitch live-action remake has clearly struck a chord with the audience. The movie has been a massive blockbuster hit and, while many are praising the movie for having the same powerful emotional punch as the original, there have been some criticisms of the way the remake has changed the story.
While many lamented the way the movie changed the characters of Jumba and Plekley or that the antagonist Gantu doesn’t appear in the new film, most of those who have a problem with the film are taking issue with the ending. It has been changed significantly from the animated original and changes the status quo for some of its characters. However, director Dean Fleischer Camp tells Variety that he thinks those making the most noise haven’t actually seen the film. He said…
I’ve had some time to think about this. I do think that a fair amount of the people who are dunking on that premise have not actually seen the movie, and they write me stuff that is clearly wrong. They get the beats of the story wrong. But when you see it doesn’t feel that way at all, and you see the intent of the actual filmmaking.
In the original film, Nani is able to ultimately retain custody of Lilo, and the two build their new family, including Stitch. However, the new film sees a new character, Tutu, adopt Lilo, allowing Nani to go to college. Some fans feel the new ending completely changes the message of the original film, though the director says the idea came directly from Lilo & Stitch director, and native Hawaiian, Chris Sanders, who suggested that the ending of the film should be something different. He continued…
Chris, who’s Hawaiian, made a really important observation about the original early on in our discussions. He didn’t buy that the two orphan sisters would just be left to fend for themselves. He said, ‘Neighbors, church groups, aunties and uncles, all these people would step in. That’s just the Hawaii I know and grew up in.’ That led him to create this character of Tutu, and she ultimately takes Lilo in as hanai, which is this culturally specific term and tradition that is a form of informal adoption. It isn’t about blood or paperwork, but love and responsibility for the greater good and for one’s community.
Even at CinemaBlend, there are conflicting views. While some of us think the new Lilo & Stitch ending is great, others still find themselves bothered by the change. Considering the original 2002 film is about the two sisters coming together and embracing each other as family, not simply responsibility, the new ending certainly changes things significantly.
However, it seems that was certainly the point. Dean Fleischer Camp is clear that simply remaking the original beat for beat was not something that anybody was interested in doing. While the director completely understands that not everybody is going to love such a significant change, he still feels the ending of the new film is honest, simply in a different way. He said…
I think you can’t satisfy everyone with these remakes. You are treading on hallowed ground when you make one of these, because these are films people grew up with, and I’m one of them, and I totally understand it. But we didn’t want to just restage the beats of the original film, as much as we both loved it. We wanted to tell a story that’s honest about what it means to lose everything and still find a way forward. People do get left behind, like what Nani says, this is, and it’s incumbent upon the community to make sure that they aren’t forgotten.
The conflict over the Lilo & Stitch ending certainly does seem to go back to a broader issue with Disney's live-action remakes. Some people seem to want them to simply retell the same story over again, with the only change being the medium.
Other people would like to see the remakes tackle the familiar stories in new ways. The director is certainly right that no decision was ever going to please everybody. This certainly does at least explain the decision, which might cause some of those who don't the ending to give it another look. Anyone still looking to check out Lilo & Stitch, one of the marquee titles on the 2025 movie schedule, can see it at their local cinema now.
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