Lilo & Stitch Director Shares the Secret To Bringing Animated Characters Into Live Action

Lilo & Stitch director Dean Fleischer Camp opens up about the challenges of remaking the classic animated film in live-action. In an interview with ComicBook to promote the movie, Camp discussed finding the right balance between honoring the original project while bringing characters like Stitch and other aliens into a different medium. The filmmaker emphasized the importance of not being “literal” when translating an animated character into live-action, instead finding a design that “rhymes” with what came before so it maintains the spirit of the beloved original. Camp detailed how he worked closely with various departments to ensure Lilo & Stitch turned out right.

“I think it’s a really hard thing to do that not a lot of people give enough attention to,” Camp said. “They sort of think, ‘Oh the character worked in the original, so we’ll just port it over.’ I think being super literal about it is a big mistake … if you look at it and you’re like, ‘Great! It looks like it could sit in a real live-action environment, we’re done,’ you’re not done. You’re not even half done. You really need to find stuff that embodies the original but … rhymes with the spirit of the animated film. A lot of times when people make it look completely literal, they’re like, ‘Oh, perfect. The lighting’s perfect.’ But then you see it move. You see it be in the film, and it feels like there’s nothing behind the eyes and it’s too stiff and it doesn’t feel like the same character.”

Camp continued, “The key to that is spending a bit more time on it than a lot of these movies maybe do. Not just working with visual effects specialists, but also working with animators, especially character animators, including the animation team from the original film.”

Lilo & Stitch is shaping up to be one of the better-received Disney remakes in some time. The film has debuted to a strong Rotten Tomatoes score and is expected to be a big box office hit over Memorial Day weekend. Coupled with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Lilo & Stitch should lead what could be a record-breaking holiday frame with $120 million domestically in its first four days.

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While Camp strived to make Lilo & Stitch as faithful to the original as possible, he did incorporate some changes translating the animated film to live-action. Most notably, the characters Dr. Jumba Jookiba and Agent Pleakley appear as humans by using some form of technology to disguise themselves while they are on Earth. They are portrayed by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen. Camp also made some tweaks to Stitch’s behavior in contrast from the animated film.

Camp’s comments make a lot of sense and illustrate why he was a great choice to helm Lilo & Stitch. Live-action remakes of animated classics run the risk of losing the charm of the original, which hurts how audiences respond to the film. The Lion King is an incredible technical achievement, but the photorealistic animals sapped the story of its emotional impact. Stitch is one of the most beloved Disney animated characters thanks to his distinct personality and cuddly appearance. If the live-action Lilo & Stitch was going to have any chance at being successful, it was paramount to nail this aspect. That Camp sought out the advice of the original movie’s animation team speaks to his commitment to delivering the best film possible.

Fortunately, Camp’s approach seems to have paid off. If Lilo & Stitch is as big as the projections indicate, it will mark a much-needed rebound for Disney’s live-action remakes. Some other recent titles, such as Snow White, struggled, illustrating that name recognition isn’t enough to deliver a hit film. Disney is going to continue combing its animation archive for more possible remakes (see: Moana next year), so perhaps Camp’s handling of Lilo & Stitch could provide a blueprint for other filmmakers to follow.