The New Lilo & Stitch Explores A Longtime Theory Fans Had About Nani, And Both The Actress And I Are Fired Up About Learning More

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SPOILERS lie ahead for Lilo & Stitch.
There's been a lot of internet chatter lately about live-action Disney movie remakes, especially regarding how they differ from their OG counterparts. That's certainly been the case for Lilo & Stitch. As I noted in my Lilo & Stitch review, given I'm someone who grew up at the exact right time when the 2002 animated original came out, I knew the remake had a high bar to clear. And, while I think some fans have a good point about how Nani's arc differs from the original, I also want to talk about how the new movie explored a long-running fan theory about her.
In the original Lilo & Stitch, 18-year-old Nani is doing the best she can, working service jobs and trying to support Lilo however possible following the deaths of their parents. It's heavily suggested that there's a history involving social workers that have given the sisters a bad rep, and Lilo is very close to being turned over to the state. Over the years, eagle-eyed fans also noticed that in Nani's room, there are a ton of surfing trophies on her dresser. You can see them in the image above.
Throughout the two decades leading up to the live-action movie, fans have been discussing how perhaps Nani was a really good surfer who competed and perhaps even had a promising career in the sport before the death of their parents. When CinemaBlend spoke to the original Nani voice actress Tia Carerre about the theory in 2022, she said it was 'never discussed.' However, she talked about how the character having a 'difficult time' is evident in her relationship with Lilo throughout the movie because 'she's a mother figure' but 'still just a young girl herself.'
We've never known for sure if Nani did give up her dreams for Lilo before, but the live-action Lilo & Stitch does delve into this for the first time. In the 2025 movie release, viewers are clued into more of Nani's perspective, who like many girls her age, aspires to go to college and has her own dreams. Of course, she didn't plan to be Lilo's surrogate mother, but she's suddenly thrust into the role.
Also, we also learn that she's so good at surfing that she can teach it! It doesn't fully make the theory canon, (especially the career part), but it definitely leans into Nani's ability to surf more than the original. Plus, in one notable change, she, rather than David, saves Stitch from drowning. And, when I asked Agudong about building upon the character she said this:
I think to be able to like just in general kind of create more of that nuance and dive deeper into Nani's arc and backstory and like our struggle and stuff. And, we got to do a lot of the water training before production and I got to do a lot of the stunts and it was really cool to kind of build more of Nani's life in real time too, as far as that goes, which was incredible. She's such a strong, independent girl, and she really is like doing her best to try to keep the family together.
I think it's a little odd that she decides to go to UC San Diego for a marine biology degree when she already lives in beautiful Hawaii. However, the new Lilo & Stitch film does allow room for Nani to have her own aspirations for herself outside of caring for Lilo. And, thanks to alien technology, it seems like she's hanging out with Lilo literally all the time with the portal ray gun.
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All the while, Lilo is officially being taken care of Tutu, who one producer told us was added to the film on account of Hawaii screenwriter Chris Bright feeling like Nani and Lilo wouldn't really be so alone in a real-life Hawaiian community.
I totally see where some people are disappointed with Nani changing her path for the live-action movie because by the end the sister's are basically torn apart after all. Yet, at the same time, both Sydney Agudong and I are pleased that Nani's backstory was strengthened for the 2025 version more than before. On that note, check out Lilo & Stitch in theaters now!