“Lilo & Stitch,” Disney’s latest live-action remake, is crash-landing in theaters this weekend. It arrives 23 years after the original 2002 animated movie stole the hearts of many fans with its chaotic blue alien Stitch and the lovable young girl Lilo who looks after him.
The new film is Disney’s first movie from the 2000s to get the remake treatment, after classic hits like “The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Mulan,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and more were all remade to much success. It’s set to make a huge splash at the box office over the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend and open at No. 1 over fellow new release “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” Currently, “Lilo & Stitch” is on track to make $150 million to $160 million in its domestic opening, plus around $125 million at the international box office, which would bring the initial global tally to a mighty $275 million to $285 million. Combined with strong holdovers from other past movies, like “Sinners” and “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “Lilo & Stitch” may power the box office to a record Memorial Day haul.
Disney’s remake follows Stitch, a blue alien from outer space who arrives in Hawaii and is taken in by Lilo and her big sister Nani. They protect Stitch from fellow extraterrestrials who want to retrieve him, while also teaching him the meaning of “ohana,” which means “family.”
Below, see all the live-action cast members who star in the new “Lilo & Stitch” and how they compare to their animated counterparts.
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Lilo (Maia Kealoha)
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Maia Kealoha is making her film debut as Disney’s live-action Lilo, a young Hawaiian girl who discovers Stitch and adopts him into her family with her big sister Nani. The 8-year-old actor is the spitting image of the fun-loving, optimistic Lilo from the original movie. Daveigh Chase provided the original voice of Lilo in the 2002 movie.
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Stitch (Chris Sanders)
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Chris Sanders, who co-directed and co-wrote the original “Lilo & Stitch,” returns to voice the blue, adorable alien. The hyperactive, CGI-animated Stitch looks just like his 2D animated version against his live-action counterparts.
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Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong)
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Playing Lilo’s big sister Nani is 24-year-old Sydney Elizebeth Agudong’s biggest Hollywood role yet. After their parents die before the events of the movie, Nani is Lilo’s legal guardian and looks after her socially isolated sister. Sydney is also the older sister of actor Siena Agudong, who’s appeared in “Sidelined: The QB and Me,” “Resident Evil” and more. Tia Carrere, who originally voiced Nani, returns to play a social worker in the new movie.
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David (Kaipo Dudoit)
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Kaipo Dudoit plays Nani’s boyfriend David, who’s a surfer and fire dancer. Dudoit was added to the cast after Kahiau Machado, who was originally chosen for the role, was recast after using a racial slur. David’s original voice actor Jason Scott Lee returns to play a manager at a lūʻau.
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Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis)
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Jumba is the mad scientist who created Stitch in the first place. He’s a large, four-eyed alien who travels to Earth with Agent Pleakley to recover Stitch, but soon befriends Lilo and Nani. Jumba was originally voiced by David Ogden Stiers, but “Hangover” comedian Zach Galifianakis takes over in the live-action film.
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Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen)
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Pleakley is a so-called alien “expert” on Earth who’s sent to find Stitch along with Dr. Jumba. The one-eyed extraterrestrial is a nervous wreck who uses disguises to blend in with the human population. “Aladdin” and “Road House” actor Billy Magnussen takes over the role, which was originated by Kevin McDonald.
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Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance)
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Courtney B. Vance plays the comically named Cobra Bubbles, who is a federal agent on the hunt for Stitch. In the original movie, Bubbles was Lilo’s social worker who threatened to place Lilo in foster care if Nani can’t do a proper job of looking after her. In the remake, Bubbles takes on the agent role that the whale-headed alien Captain Gantu originally had in the animated movie. “Mission: Impossible” star Ving Rhames previously voiced Bubbles.
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Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham)
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The Grand Councilwoman is the leader of the Galactic Federation who orders Jumba and Pleakley to chase down Stitch. “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham voiced the gray alien, who was originally played by Zoe Caldwell.
