The live-action remake of ‘Lilo & Stich’ assembles its Ohana. IndieWire has confirmed that Zach Galifankis has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ film.
Details about Galifanakis’ character are being kept under wraps, so it’s unclear whether the “Hangover” star will be playing a live-action character or voicing a CGI character like the lovable Stitch himself. Since the original animated film focused primarily on native Hawaiian characters, Galifanakis will likely play either a new character in the film, or an outsider to the cast, such as Stitch, the antagonist Captain Gantu, or a member of the iconic oddball duo Jumba and Jumba. Pleakly.
The beloved original animated film centers on Lilo, a young girl struggling after the death of her parents. When she meets Stitch, a bizarre dog-like creature created by an alien scientist to be the ultimate force of destruction, Lilo adopts the stray and brings him into her home—unwittingly putting her and her sister Nani’s lives in danger. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the film was well received when it was first released in 2002, grossing $273.1 million worldwide and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. Three direct-to-video sequels followed, as well as a successful Disney Channel animated series.
The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who was nominated for an Oscar for last year’s animated film “Marcel with the Shell Shoe”. Chris Kekaniokalani Bright wrote the screenplay for the film, which is produced by Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich and produced by Ryan Halprin.
“Lilo & Stitch” is one of Galifianakis’ first live-action film projects in years. After starring in the movie ‘Sunny Night’ in 2019 and releasing the movie version of his online talk show ‘Between Two Ferns’ in 2019, the actor has mostly acted in animated films such as ‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ and ‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie”. The comedian’s other upcoming projects include “The Beanie Bubble” with Elizabeth Banks and the reality winner biopic “The Winner.”
Galifianakis is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Yorn Levine.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report on Galifankis’ casting in the film.
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