Disney’s never-ending procession of live-action remakes have long since started to grow tiresome, but nobody could have guessed that Lilo & Stitch would prove to be one of the most controversial yet.
While The Little Mermaid came in for some criticism that was entirely expected given the habits of the internet’s darkest corners, the shoe was put on the other foot when it came to the Hawaiian-set 2002 favorite after actor Kahiau Machado was fired just days after being cast as David Kawena when a dig through his historical social media posts uncovered the use of racial slurs.
That came after the first wave of casting announcements had been hit with accusations of colorism, so it’s not exactly unexpected to hear that Lilo & Stitch has suffered another unfortunate setback. With actors now on strike, every major Hollywood production has been forced to close its doors and hit the pause button as a result, which includes the Mouse House’s incoming do-over.
Having been shooting since April 17, Lilo & Stitch only had one week left of principal photography left to go, which meant it was able to carry on while the Writers Guild of America was manning the picket lines. Of course, you can’t shoot a completed script without any on-camera talents, so the very last stretch of filming has been pushed back to an unspecified date when things have reached a resolution.
It’s not the end of the world, but it is ironically fitting for a production that’s gained more bad buzz than good to end up having to grind to a halt when it’s agonizingly close to calling it a wrap and plunging headlong into pre-production.
