The new lead in the planned live-action rendition of Lilo & Stitch has been cast.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sydney Agudong will play Nani Pelekai, Lilo Pelekai’s elder sister and legal guardian. Tia Carrere provided the voice of Nani in the 2002 animated picture.
Agudong is an actress who just starred in the forthcoming indie film At Your Feet. NCIS, West Michigan, On My Block, and Infamously In Love are among her other credits.
But despite this, this casting has been met with a lot of backlash online.
Here’s just some of the responses to this casting news:
This obsession with melanin content is a vapid waste of time. It's called acting.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 14, 2023
Please tell me this is fuking joke. 🤬🤬 pic.twitter.com/RYXn7iVnfE
— ♋N8tiv_ATLien (@N8tiv_ATLien) April 14, 2023
Now they know **** well 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/KlS4DZ18W6
— Trinidad Cardona (@TrinidadCMusic) April 14, 2023
something about this don't fit right with my spirit
— Nicholas Dante (@nicholasdante_) April 14, 2023
it’s not race for me
— Bella.leota 🤍 (@bella_leota) April 14, 2023
it’s the clear lack of true Hawaiian culture that’s killing me
this is clearly the start of Lilly & (hopefully) stitch
& I swear if stitch comes out orange .. 🤬 pic.twitter.com/L9nUzQUIF1
THR reports that Disney has yet to cast the voice of Stich in the film. Stitch was formerly known as Experiment 626 in the original film, and he escaped to Earth to avoid being killed by The Galactic Federation. Stitch disguised himself as a dog to blend in with the locals, and he was quickly adopted by a disturbed young girl named Lilo.
