Throughout the month of April, Disney’s been gradually rolling out casting information for its incoming remake of Lilo & Stitch. We’ve got our Lilo in newcomer Maia Kealoha, a Nani in Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, and Billy Magnussen. All that’s missing is Stitch — or rather, he was missing before now.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, Disney’s currently in final talks to bring back Stitch’s original actor, Chris Sanders, to reprise the role for the remake. Along with voicing the character in the 2002 film, he’d also directed, wrote, and designed the film’s characters. Following the movie’s success, he voiced Stitch in the spinoff TV series (and its sequel movie), and in other media that featured the character like Kingdom Hearts II and The Lion King 1 1/2. Prior this, Sanders told SyFy Wire in 2022 that he hadn’t been approached about coming back, though the rumour for sometime was that he’d be back to play the loveable alien-dog.
In that same story, THR further revealed that Disney’s brought on Kaipot Dudoit (Magnum PI) to play the role of David, Nani’s surfer friend/love interest. Last week, it was reported that the role would go to Kahiau Machado, but in the midst of Disney’s vetting process, social media users found previous posts where Machado used racial slurs. At the time that those posts were being uncovered, Disney had yet to officially confirm the casting.
As previously stated, Sanders and Dudoit are two new additions to an eventful series of cast reveals. Further rounding out the ensemble is Zach Galifianakis as Jumbaa, Magnussen as Pleakley (according to THR), Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and Tia Carrere as a social worker assigned to check in on Lilo and Nani, who Carrere voiced in the animated films and show. The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp.