Latest news with #DeanFleischerCamp
Pink Villa
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Lilo and Stitch delivers one of May's biggest Thursdays with USD 9.2M, crosses USD 450M worldwide
Disney's Lilo & Stitch continues to demonstrate strong legs at the US box office, proving itself as one of this year's biggest family entertainers. The live-action and CGI hybrid endeavor wrapped its first full week at the domestic box office with a strong USD 9.2 million Thursday haul, a mere 8 percent drop from Wednesday, holding firm at the No. 1 spot on the home charts. The USD 9.2 million Thursday figure makes it the fourth-biggest Thursday ever for a May release, behind only Top Gun: Maverick (USD 14.5M), The Avengers (USD 12.4M), and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (USD 12.3M). It's also the sixth-biggest Thursday ever recorded in May, joining the ranks of Marvel juggernauts Avengers: Endgame (USD 21.5M) and Infinity War (USD 15.5M). As for Memorial Day releases, the film now holds the No. 2 spot for all-time biggest Thursdays, trailing only Top Gun: Maverick and outpacing fellow Disney titles like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, which came out in 2023 and 2019, respectively. Its impressive hold and wide appeal have pushed its US total to USD 217 million, while globally, Lilo & Stitch has now crossed USD 450 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the biggest earner in the Lilo & Stitch franchise. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo & Stitch is a reimagining of Disney's beloved 2002 animated film. The 2025 version blends live action with visual effects and includes new story elements pulled from the film's sequels and television adaptations. The film stars newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai, with Chris Sanders, the director of the original and the OG voice of Stitch, reprising his iconic role. The ensemble cast also includes Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, alongside returning original cast members Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee in new roles. The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 17 and opened theatrically across the globe on May 23. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, who have praised its heartfelt storytelling, vibrant visuals, and nostalgic yet fresh take on the cherished characters.
Screen Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
'Lilo & Stitch' Live-Action Remake Faces Controversy
The 2025 live-action adaptation Lilo & Stitch is finally in theaters. While viewers seem to be enjoying the new film, there is some controversy in the way, specifically with the way Lilo & Stitch fans feel about the film's ending. There's absolutely difficulty in making these types of Disney adaptations. After all, some fans want to see the story they remember perfectly represented, while others hope for new changes and alterations to make a more modern interpretation. The ending of Lilo & Stitch aims for the latter, with a change that has fans in an uproar, and even the film's director, Dean Fleischer Camp, has been attempting to put out the fires on social media. Fortunately for Camp, some fans agree with his take, but it generally looks like a divisive conclusion for fans of the original film. Obvious spoilers ahead. Throughout Lilo & Stitch , fans will notice several major changes, including the absence of fan-favorite character Captain Gantu and the decision to split Agent Cobra Bubbles into two different roles. For the film's ending, however, that's where fans are apparently drawing a line. The end of the film has a major difference when compared with its animated counterpart. The original film ended with Lilo being fully cared for by her sister, Nani, and the support of her new family which includes David, Jumba, and Pleakley. This ties in with the film's meaning of 'Ohana,' which means 'family.' The phrase is also associated with the quote, 'Family means no one gets left behind.' What some fans find controversial about the new film's ending, however, is that it doesn't exactly play out the same way. Apparently Nani leaves Lilo to be taken care of by David and his grandmother so that she can pursue her dream of going to college in the American mainland. While she still visits Lilo and Stitch using Jumba's portal gun, it's an ending that some fans felt was disrespectful to the meaning of 'Ohana.' The film's director, however, insists that it merely expands the meaning of the word. Now he insists that Nani is able to keep her dreams from being left behind, something which some fans supported as you can see below: For anybody questioning the ending of our film, this beautiful piece by @lsirikul nails it — Dean Fleischer Camp (@DFLEISCHERCAMP) May 26, 2025 Thank you for sharing your stories with me ❤️ It seems like the people with actual lived experiences like this are the ones with whom this ending resonates the most. — Dean Fleischer Camp (@DFLEISCHERCAMP) May 26, 2025 Others, however, were less happy with this interpretation: Lilo and Stitch 2025 summarized: Ohana means family, unless you get to go to college to be a Marine Biologist, in which case, dump your family on the government and your neighbors. Disney hates you and your family too. — Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) May 23, 2025 How the fuck did the 'ohana means nothing' film outgross the 'ohana means family' film that were trying to adapt — ethanbrah 🇵🇸#FreePalestine (@SadieBy81859) May 25, 2025 — Comrade Sisko 🖖🏾✊🏿 (@Pinko69420) May 27, 2025 Obviously there are a variety of ways this ending could have been handled, whether by following the original film's conclusion more closely or merely allowing Nani to go to college in Hawaii. Either way, the film as a whole has been positively received, so it looks like Lilo & Stitch may succeed regardless of how people feel about the controversy of its ending. Lilo & Stitch is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Lilo & Stitch surpasses expectations to become Disney's highest-grossing domestic release
Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch is proving to be a box office juggernaut, outperforming expectations and smashing records in its opening week. In just six days, the film has overtaken Captain America: Brave New World to become Disney's highest-grossing domestic release of all time, earning an impressive USD 207.8 million in the United States alone. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the family adventure film posted a robust USD 10 million on its first Wednesday. Although this marked a 34.2% drop from Tuesday's Discount Day earnings, it still represents one of the strongest weekday holds for a May release. That midweek performance also secured the film third place on the all-time chart for biggest Wednesday openings in May, trailing only Top Gun: Maverick (USD 14.8M) and The Avengers (USD 13.6M). Reported Pinkvilla
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
LILO & STITCH Director Responds to Backlash Over Live-Action Ending: 'It Just Felt Like the Right Thing to Do' — GeekTyrant
Disney's Lilo & Stitch live-action remake has been a financial success, pulling in over $360 million globally, but not everyone is thrilled about the creative choices, especially when it comes to the film's reimagined ending. Now, director Dean Fleischer Camp has stepped in to address the controversy and offer some insight into the thinking behind the film's most debated change. Unlike the 2002 animated original, the new version shifts who ends up raising Lilo. Instead of Nani and David taking on guardianship together, David and his grandmother become Lilo's foster family, while Nani leaves for college. She's still part of Lilo's life, visiting regularly through Jumba's portal gun, but this change has sparked criticism from some fans, who feel Nani 'abandoned' her sister. Camp doesn't see it that way. Responding on X, the Marcel the Shell filmmaker linked to an article defending the movie's ending and wrote: 'For anybody questioning the ending of our film, this beautiful piece [...] nails it.' He later followed up with: 'Thank you for sharing your stories with me. It seems like the people with actual lived experiences like this are the ones with whom this ending resonates the most.' For Camp, the decision to have Nani pursue her own dreams wasn't about removing her from Lilo's life, it was about deepening the story's emotional layers. Speaking to Deadline, he explained: 'I think that was one of the things that we talked about, thematically modernizing and updating for this live-action version was broadening the idea of Ohana and complicating it with a little more nuance. It just felt like the right thing to do.' He elaborated on how Nani's arc felt incomplete in the original, adding: 'Given that Nani, who I always felt was a little too rose-colored glasses for somebody in her situation, was so smart and has had to abandon a lot of these dreams or defer them because she had to take care of her little sister and inherited all this responsibility at such a young age. 'It just felt like she might not have such an easy time buying into, 'Nobody gets left behind' because she certainly would feel like, well, I'm struggling here. So that informed the approach that we took with the story and with the arch between the two sisters and what the resolution ended up being.' These changes are part of a broader update to the film's themes. While the original leaned into the sweetness and simplicity of Ohana, the remake digs into the complications that come with sacrifice, ambition, and the many ways families evolve. It's a creative choice that doesn't sit well with everyone, but it's a choice Camp 100% stands by. The new Lilo & Stitch stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, and introduces Maia Kealoha as Lilo. Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Stitch, with a script by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. Whether you're on board with the new ending or not, it's clear the creative team aimed to expand the story rather than simply replicate it. As Camp's comments make clear, the goal wasn't to rewrite what made Lilo & Stitch special, it was to explore it in a different light.
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Lilo and Stitch nears USD 200M, set to overtake Captain America as Disney's top 2025 domestic hit
Lilo & Stitch is rapidly climbing the box office charts and is now only hours away from crossing the USD 200 million mark domestically, a feat it will achieve within only six days of release. The live-action remake of Disney's beloved 2002 animated classic brought in a strong USD 15.3 million on Discount Tuesday, marking a 58.2 percent drop from its massive Memorial Day performance but still an impressive hold for a working weekday. That figure also makes it the third-highest Tuesday gross for any May release in history, behind only The Avengers (USD 17.7M) and Top Gun: Maverick (USD 15.8M). It's also the fourth-biggest Tuesday ever recorded in the month of May, when including Avengers: Infinity War's USD 23.4 million. With a current domestic cume of USD 197.9 million, Lilo & Stitch is poised to surpass Captain America: Brave New World's USD 200.5 million and become Disney's highest-grossing domestic release of 2025, all within a week. The film's momentum suggests it could become one of the top earners of the year, further proving the audience's appetite for nostalgia-driven remakes when done right. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and penned by Chris Kekaniokelani Bright and Mikey Van Waes, the film blends live action with animation in a retelling of the original story, with a few fresh twists drawn from the sequel films and TV shows. Newcomer Maia Kealoha plays Lilo, while Chris Sanders reprises his iconic voice role as Stitch. The cast also includes Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, with original cast members Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee returning in new roles. Lilo & Stitch premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 17 and was released theatrically in the United States on May 23. Despite receiving mixed reviews, with critics praising the effort but questioning the need for it, the film has strongly connected with audiences, propelling it to a global gross of USD 400 million-plus so far, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025 worldwide. Lilo & Stitch is now playing in theaters.
