After The “Lilo & Stitch” Live-Action Trailer Dropped, Everyone Is Commenting On This One Very Specific Thing They Changed
What happened to MY Pleakley and the bob haircut?!
It’s no secret that these days, the trend seems to be turning beloved animated movies into live-action remakes. In 2025 alone, we’ll be getting three of these, with one big one being Lilo & Stitch.
Disney
The live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is set to hit theaters in May 2025, and like all of the live-action remakes, it’s basically a shot-for-shot recreation of the absolutely perfect animated film that came out in 2002.
Disney / Via youtube.com
Now, I do need to put it out there before we continue. I am not a big fan of these remakes in general because I LOVE animation, and I think it’s an art form that does not get enough credit across the board.
Also, personally, there is never a scenario where I am going to choose to watch a live-action remake over the animated film, except for Cinderella, starring Lily James, because I do love that one.
But, there is one thing in particular a lot of fans are noticing and it’s a difference when it comes to Jumba and Pleakley, who are played by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen, respectively.
In the original animated film, when Jumba and Pleakley arrive on Earth to try and hunt down Stitch, aka Experiment 626, they disguise themselves as humans, notably with Pleakley dressing as a woman. They aren’t the best disguises, but that’s part of the joke, and it works so perfectly.
Disney
However, in the live-action remake, it appears like Jumba and Pleakley will simply activate digital human skins and appear to look like Galifianakis and Magnussen. Right now, it’s unclear whether or not they put on other disguises during the film, but it’s looking like they just transform into two unassuming men.
As soon as the trailer hit the internet, people had a lot of thoughts on this change, in particular, taking away Pleakley dressing up as a woman so he and Jumba can disguise themselves as a married couple:
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Copping out by making Jumba and Pleakley wear digital human skins is so stupid. Like isn’t it a whole joke that they’re obviously aliens in cheap disguises https://t.co/nzLHK88yIR
— smosher ☆ (@ThatOnePoes) March 12, 2025
Disney / Via x.com
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Alongside the Pleakley change, the film has also been criticized for the casting of Nani due to the casting of Sydney Agudong, who has not specified her heritage herself, but many have reported that she’s not actually Native Hawaiian and she is light-skinned, while in the animated movie, Nani has a darker skin tone. Many Pacific Islanders pointed out when her casting was first announced that Nani’s brown skin, body shape, and being a Native Hawaiian were essential to the representation they felt was important for the PI community, and now it’s been changed for the remake.
