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Disney’s newest attempt to turn one of its animated classics into a live-action hit is already taking heat from fans — similar to the “Snow White” fiasco that embroiled the entertainment giant earlier this year.
“Lilo & Stitch” has sparked concern among Disney fans after its director, Dean Fleischer Camp, revealed he tried to keep an iconic moment from the cartoon original, but it was seemingly left out.
The latest issue for Disney began when Camp posted a TikTok on Monday answering fans’ questions about the release of the iconic franchise’s new trailer.
Camp said that he received feedback on whether one of the film’s main antagonists, Pleakley, would be disguised in a dress and wig while hunting down Stitch, as the 2002 cartoon portrayed.
“I have had people message me, ‘Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?’ And I just want to say, I tried… I tried,” Camp appeared to painstakingly reveal.
Camp shared what looked to be a concept drawing he had made for the two-tongued, one-eyed extraterrestrial for his live-action film, donning a red wig and a blue floral dress.
In the sci-fi comedy, Agent Pleakley and his partner Dr. Jumba Jookiba are on a mission to hunt down Stitch after he escapes to Earth and lands in Hawaii, befriending Lilo, who quickly adopts him, believing that he’s a dog and not a genetic alien experiment.
Throughout the film, Pleakley and Jumba are forced to wear disguises to blend in with the humans around them as they hunt for Stitch, with Pleakley opting to dress as a woman tourist wearing different wigs and dresses.
However, in the live-action trailer for Camp’s film, Pleakley (played by “The Many Saints of Newark” actor Billy Magnussen) and Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) are both disguised as men.
Blowback against the director’s revelation echoes troubles Disney faced for “Snow White” and using CGI (computer-generated images) to portray the iconic film’s seven dwarfs.
“Snow White” went on to bomb at the box office, grossing $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide, falling far short of the $410 million it cost to make the film.
The movie was also mired in several other controversies, including star Rachel Zegler’s comments deriding Israel, Donald Trump, and Disney.
Disney’s live-action remakes have faced criticism from fans over recent years.
In the 2016 remake of “The Jungle Book,” fans were upset that King Louie had been changed from an orangutan to a gigantopithecus since orangutans are not native to India, according to Comic Book Resources.
In 2019, Disney opted to remove beloved “Mulan” dragon sidekick Mushu and the grandiose musical numbers from the live-action film
Fans of “The Little Mermaid” were also upset over Flounder’s appearance in the 2023 live-action remake.
The change in the new “Lilo & Stitch” with Pleakley sparked worry among fans about whether the reboot could live up to the original movie’s legacy.
Fans quickly took to the comment section on the director’s Q&A TikTok to share their feelings about the controversial change.
“That ‘I tried’ speaks volumes. Your concept of Pleakley in his pretty clothes looks great,” one fan pointed out.
“‘i tried’ yall please look at this man. do yall really think that hes a man who is against pleakley in drag? disney def had a say, esp in this political climate,” another commented.
“WHAAAAAAAT WHAT WHAT DO YOU MEAAAAANN THEY DIDNT CHOOSE YOUR VERSION OF PLEAKLEY?! THATS THE *ONE* THING ABOUT THE TRAILER THAT MADE ME SO MAD,” another user furiously commented.
“Disney are such cowards if they don’t include Pleakley in a wig and dress… no way a movie made for an audience 20 plus years ago had a more accepting climate than current times, we’re really regressing,” wrote another.
The Post has reached out to Disney for comment.
The live-action “Lilo & Stitch” has been a highly anticipated release for Disney fans, with the trailer garnering over 100 million views across various social media platforms when it dropped in mid-March.
“Lilo & Stitch” is set to hit theaters across the US on May 23.
English (US)