As Disney continues to expand its live-action movie empire, the studio just tapped Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu to direct its adaptation of the ultra-popular Lilo & Stitch.
According to Variety, Disney has yet to announce a screenwriter or any cast members, as well as if the film will be headed to theaters or only hit its streaming service Disney+. However, Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of the company that recently backed its Aladdin live-action remake, Rideback, are producing the film. Rideback exec Ryan Halprin will also be serving as an executive producer.
The original Disney classic came out in 2002 and was directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. It follows a 6-year-old Hawaiian girl named Lilo and her teenage sister Nani who adopt a blue space criminal nicknamed Stitch and teach him wholesome values like the importance of honesty, integrity, and family. Lilo & Stitch's success would eventually unfold into several spin-off movies and a Disney Channel TV series that ran from 2003 to 2006.
This news comes as Disney has been unloading a series of live-action remakes to some of their classic animated films, most notably the Lion King live-action rendition which featured a star-studded voice acting cast of Donald Glover as Simba, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Beyoncé as Nala, and a slew of others.
Recently, Disney also released the live-action remake for Mulan, which went straight to Disney+ due to movie theaters closing nationwide.
