Earlier this month, The Wrap confirmed that comic actor Zach Galifianakis had been cast in Disney’s upcoming live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake as Agent Wendy Pleakley.
For context, Pleakley is sent to go after Stitch on Earth following his escape, having been labeled as an expert of the planet by the United Galactic Federation, even though he barely knows anything about Earth. Though far from the most competent officer, Pleakley proves himself to be more cautious and more compassionate compared to his companion, mad scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba, when capturing Stitch.
He’s a comic relief character, which fits Galifianakis’ M.O., since he made a name for himself playing primarily funny characters. Better yet, the comic actor has voiced characters in the past, like “Puss in Boots” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” and has been involved with previous Disney movies such as “G-Force” and “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Given that it’s a live-action remake of the 2002 hit Disney film, Galifianakis will more likely than not lend his voice for the role knowing that Pleakley is an alien, or they may just make his character CGI.
Not much else is known about the upcoming “Lilo & Stitch” remake besides the casting of Galifianakis as Pleakley. The film will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who directed “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” which was nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards in 2021. The movie was greenlighted in October 2018, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film has been pushed back.
With the talent that has already been added on, even if very few roles have been filled thus far, it appears Disney is treating this remake with care by adding reliable comedic talent like Galifianakis and directing talent like Camp, who could potentially add more to the “Lilo & Stitch” lore. That could be a fair contrast from some of the other Disney animated movies that have come out in its era of live-action remakes.
“Lilo & Stitch” may not have that same reputation as the other Disney movies that were eventually remade. But it became such a surprise hit for Disney when it came out in 2002 that it went on to spawn multiple sequels and a followup animated series not long afterward.
Its fanbase may not be as prevalent as classics like “The Lion King,” but it has a big enough fanbase that grew up with this franchise. They’ll likely be disappointed if the upcoming live-action remake is just another soulless cash grab with nothing new added to the story.
There are no guarantees that this will be good, but Disney is off to a good start developing this live-action remake. Let’s see if it can keep it up from here.