Lilo & Stich Live-Action Remake Lands Crazy Rich Asians Director Jon M. Chu

The director of Crazy Rich Asians Jon M. Chu is the next filmmaker to adapt classic Walt Disney animated movies with a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. Chu is currently in talks to helm the film, according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, and the search for a screenplay is currently underway. While there were talks to put Lilo & Stitch on Disney+ when it was first in development, it appears that the studio is currently shifting gears to put it on the big screen. Chu is riding high after the success of Crazy Rich Asians and has recently joined the Disney family after signing on for the Willow series on Disney+.

This will be Chu’s latest project after helming In the Heights, the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway show from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was delayed to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Because talks are early on, there’s no word yet on who will star in the project or how it will utilize CGI and practical effects. The plot of the original film centers around an alien creature that escapes captivity and lands in Hawaii where it bonds with a young child named Lilo, who lives with her older sister as her legal guardian. The film depicts Lilo avoiding social workers while Stitch evades his captors, and was a major hit among Disney fans before the inevitable shift to CG-animated movies.

The Lilo & Stitch reboot first came to light two years ago, attached to the live-action Aladdin producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. The first script came from Mike Van Waes, though it looks like Disney is seeking a re-write from someone new.

While the film didn’t light up the box office like many other animated films in Disney’s library, it did find success and spawned multiple sequels and follow-up projects. Lilo & Stitch was also nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com to learn more about the upcoming live-action reboot of Lilo & Stitch.