Lilo and Stitch: Zach Galifianakis to star in Disney’s live-action remake

THR has reported that Zach Galifianakis has closed a deal to star in Disney’s upcoming live-action Lilo and Stitch movie.

The original Lilo & Stitch film told the story of a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo and an extraterrestrial dog-like creature known as Experiment 626, but he’s soon given the name Stitch after being adopted by Lilo. Although Stitch is a force of chaos and destruction, he eventually develops a close bond with Lilo, and together, the pair avoid the pursuing aliens who have been dispatched to capture him. The film spawned several direct-to-video sequels and a couple of TV shows. Exactly who Zach Galifianakis will play in the Lilo and Stitch movie is being kept under wraps at the moment, but Disney is still searching for actors to play Lilo and her older sister. As expected, the character of Stitch will be a CG creation.

When Disney first announced the Lilo & Stitch remake four years ago, they had originally been talking with Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) to direct. But it was announced last summer that Dean Fleischer Camp, the filmmaker behind Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, had signed on to direct. “I’m hugely [excited],” Camp said when the news was first announced. “I did not know they were going to announce that today. It’s great—now I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.“ At the time, it wasn’t known whether or not the project would be a theatrical feature or if it was being developed for Disney+, but THR’s report states that it’s intended to be a “major release” on the streaming service.

Zack Galifianakis will next be seen starring alongside Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook, and Geraldine Viswanathan in The Beanie Bubble for Apple TV+. Based on the non-fiction book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble by Zac Bissonette, the film deals with the Beanie Baby craze of the 90s (did anyone ever make any money on those?) and was directed by Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash, with Gore also penning the script.

Who do you think Zack Galifianakis will play in the Lilo and Stitch remake?