Lilo & Stitch producer Jonathan Eirich has predicted the film could produce sequels if audiences say they “love” Disney’s latest live-action remake.
The new film from director Dean Fleischer Camp is already proving a box office hit. It made $14.5 million in previews and is predicted to rake in over $160 million across the weekend, which would equal the Memorial Day box office record set in 2022 by Top Gun: Maverick.
The original animated Lilo & Stitch, released in 2002, was directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and was so successful it spawned a spin-off television series, an anime show and a series of direct-to-video sequels. The extended universe of the franchise has produced a number of new fan-favorite characters, including Stitch’s love interest, Angel, and an evil twin named Leroy.
Speaking to The Independent, Eirich said the existing franchise could be mined for live-action sequels if the film is as successful as predicted.
“I think it’s such a rich world that Chris Sanders and others have built out, which is exciting,” said the producer. “You’ve got the space opera element, which is so fun. We sort of start the movie in that world. You have other characters - we do a quick little nod to Angel and Leroy in the movie that fans might catch, when Jumba is scrolling through the other experiments. So there are other things you could touch on.
“I’m always just nervous that people love this one, so I just want this one out in the world first! Hopefully audiences love it, and if they tell us they do then it would be exciting to explore more stories in this universe.”
Although early signs point to box office success, Disney’s latest remake has divided critics. Some called it the “best live-action remake yet” while others described the film as unnecessary. The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey labelled it “a travesty” in a one-star review.
Speaking to The Independent, Lilo & Stitch creator Chris Sanders said his only concern about the remake was a practical one.
In addition to co-directing the original Lilo & Stitch, Sanders also created and voiced the mischievous alien Stitch. He returned to voice the CGI character in the new version and said he felt “completely confident” that the story would “translate beautifully” to live action.
He continued: “I think the biggest concern with Stitch, it’s a very practical concern, is just how big he is. His ears increase in scale! One of the things I was curious about was, how big will he actually be? When they did the walk around outfit for the Disney parks, he was limited in his head size because he needs to be packed on to airplanes and go through doorways and stuff like that.
“The real Stitch, the Stitch that’s in the movie, when he’s standing at full height he’s 18 inches high. He’s not very big, but because his head is so big and his ears are so big it kind of magnifies his presence. So they found a good size for him.”
The original Lilo & Stitch movie follows the story of a lonely six-year-old girl, who adopts what she thinks is a dog but actually turns out to be an extraterrestrial entity that has escaped prison.
Fleischer Camp’s remake follows the same plot, with some new characters and storyline additions. Earlier this month, the director addressed fan complaints over the movie’s reinvention of beloved character Agent Pleakley.
Lilo & Stitch is in cinemas now.
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