Disney Live-Action Lilo & Stitch Sparks Fan Backlash Over Key Plot Changes

The 2025 live-action remake of Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" has sparked significant backlash from fans due to several notable changes from the original 2002 animated film. Critics and audiences are particularly upset about the altered ending, where Nani loses guardianship of Lilo, who is placed in foster care, undermining the original film's central theme of family unity. Additionally, the remake omits Lilo's emotional backstory involving her parents' death and the symbolic peanut butter sandwich ritual with Pudge, which diminished the emotional depth of her character's grief and coping mechanism. While the film retains some original cast members such as Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, and Amy Hill, it notably excludes the character Gantu, the original villain, which removes a key physical antagonist from the story. Director Dean Fleischer Camp and producer Jonathan Eirich aimed to preserve the authenticity and core of the original, adding new storytelling elements and extending the runtime, but these changes have divided opinion. The remake's reimagining of characters and plot points has led to disappointment among fans who feel the heart and emotional resonance of the beloved classic have been compromised.