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San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How this S.F. company's $100 million gamble made ‘Lilo & Stitch' one of Disney's biggest hits
There's an old Hollywood adage, attributed to comedian W.C. Fields, that advises filmmakers and actors never to work with children or animals. Good thing the makers of the new live-action ' Lilo & Stitch ' didn't listen to such nonsense. In the less than two weeks since its release, the Disney film is one of the most beloved of the year, pulling in more than $600 million at the global box office. It is already the second-biggest Hollywood release of 2025, and has a good shot at supplanting ' A Minecraft Movie ' ($947 million) as the top earner. Obviously, one of the reasons it has become one of Disney's most successful live-action remakes is audiences' warm memories of the 2002 animated film. But a major factor is the undeniable chemistry between 6-year-old Maia Kealoha, who plays Lilo, and the beautifully realized 2025 version of Stitich, the tiny irrepressible alien who lands in Hawaii and becomes Lilo's chaotic companion. The secret to developing that relationship was spearheaded by Industrial Light & Magic, based at the Presidio in San Francisco. As the visual effects team was grappling with how to turn the 2D animated version into a fully fleshed-out CGI character, a crucial decision was made: to aid the-yet-to-be-cast child actress who would play Lilo, the $100 million production would use animatronic puppets to interact with her and serve as a visual guide for the VFX team. 'They immediately had a bond,' animation supervisor Matthew Shumway said during a recent Chronicle visit to ILM. 'Every day there would be cute moments on the set. It was really important to let (Maia) have a friend on set. It was really cute to see how black (Stitich's) nose was by the end of production; it was pretty rubbed off because she kissed it so much.' Shumway, who filmed test footage with his own 6-year-old daughter before Maia was cast, and visual effects supervisor Craig Hammack turned to Legacy Effects, a Los Angeles company that specializes in animatronic puppets (Grogu of ' The Mandalorian '), to create a series of Stitch puppets, including one suited for underwater scenes. Hayes called the child's performance 'huge.' 'A 6-year-old girl, a lot on her shoulders, and there's only one of her, you know?' Hayes said. 'She nailed the character, and she was very professional, and very impressive.' Hammack, a two-time Oscar nominee as visual effects supervisor on ' Deepwater Horizon ' (2017) and ' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ' (2022), agreed. 'Maia was phenomenal — very honest, very focused,' he said. 'It didn't feel like (the production) was being tailored to a child in that everything was able to stay on track and very productive for the time we had with her.' Because Lilo first thinks Stitch is a dog, some of the character's movements were dog-like. In those scenes, a French Bulldog named Dale stood in for Stitch in scenes with Maia. The animal 'always gave a little bit of unpredictability,' Hammack noted, which added spontaneity to the film. Somewhere, the ghost of Fields was spinning. Blending live actors with animated characters has been a thing since at least 'Anchors Aweigh,' the 1945 MGM musical in which Gene Kelly famously danced with Jerry the Mouse. The landmark 1988 film 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' upped the ante. But counterintuitively, because of ILM's cutting-edge technology, 'Lilo & Stitch' was able to deliver something Kelly didn't have: a physical scene partner. 'Our work works because Seth did his job,' Shumway said. 'Without it, we would maybe get a stale performance from Maia. By the time it gets to (the VFX team), we digitally remove (the puppet), but then we've got all the other elements that benefited from the work that he did. Because Maya gave a really good performance, then we can give a really good performance with Stitch. 'So really, it's an old school process, but it's still very modern in how we approach it.'
Time of India
26-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Coast guarding
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. LESS ... MORE A ship sinks near Cochin port, reminds India that preventing oils spills is easier than cleanups Debris has begun to wash ashore Kerala's coast, after a Liberian-flagged cargo ship capsized just 27km away on Sunday. Warnings have been issued, rightly, that people shouldn't get close and touchy with the beached containers. Besides hazardous cargo, oil spill is the other danger. The ship's tanks were carrying over 450 metric tonnes of diesel and furnace oil. India's coast guard and navy did a good job rescuing the crew, but fighting damage to coastal ecosystems and fishing livelihoods may prove a much greater challenge. Recent central govt EnviStats patted Kerala's beaches for having the least polluted waters in the country. Unless the oil spill threat proves punier than feared, all possible resources – including international ones – need to be mobilised to preserve this healthy shoreline. Standard global solutions range from skimming oil from the water surface by various means, using chemical dispersants to break up an oil slick into smaller concentrations, booms to slow its spread, and bioremediation. One disheartening thing is that technological progress on this front leaves a lot to be desired. For example, the fraction of oil spill recovered after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was not much higher than after the Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska three decades earlier. These were both high visibility events that drew billions in cleanup dollars. But environment experts point to optics and efficacy being completely different yardsticks. Bombarding the DP spill with the trademarked Corexit dispersant produced a vast, cloudy suspension. It looked like it was helping. But actually, it only spread the oil further, reaching even more marine life at different depths. Data indicates that not only is removing oil spills from the sea challenging, it is ineffective even in calm waters. So while keeping our fingers crossed that Kerala doesn't have a big tragedy on its hands this time, it is lessons in prevention that would be of real help in the future. For example, could MSC ELSA 3 have been towed away from India when it started listing? At 28 years of age, was this feeder vessel un-portworthy? At 640 containers, was it overweight? Analysing such issues thoroughly is key to lifting the country's trade by sea while protecting it from the dangers ships can visit upon us. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Coast Guard to the rescue: A ship sinks near Kerala
A big cargo ship from another country sank near Cochin port in Kerala, and now bits of it are washing up on the beach. The ship was carrying some dangerous things, including more than 450 tons of oil and diesel. That's a big problem, because oil spills can hurt sea animals, beaches, and the people who fish for a living. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy did a great job saving everyone on the ship. But cleaning up the mess it left behind is much harder. Oil in the ocean can be very bad for the environment. Just recently, Kerala was praised for having some of the cleanest beaches in India. But now, there's a risk that oil could ruin that. That's why it's so important to act fast. There are special ways to deal with oil spills—like using machines to scoop the oil off the water, using chemicals to break it up, or even using helpful bacteria to clean it. But none of these are perfect. In fact, even huge oil spills in other countries, like the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 or the Exxon Valdez spill many years ago, were really hard to clean up—even though tons of money and effort were spent. Sometimes, the cleanup looks like it's working, but it can actually make things worse by spreading the oil around. That's why experts say it's better to prevent oil spills instead of just trying to clean them up. People are asking: Could this ship have been moved before it sank? Was it too old? Was it carrying too much stuff? By asking these questions and learning from this accident, we can keep our oceans cleaner and safer in the future—and make sure India's beautiful coasts stay that way. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Ship sinking off Kerala coast triggers oil spills concerns: All you need to know
A Liberian-flagged cargo ship carrying 640 containers onboard, including 13 hazardous cargoes, capsized and sank in the sea off the coast of Kerala on Sunday (May 25). All crew members were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and a Navy ship, but the incident has raised fears of an oil spill. The Coast Guard said the ship Saksham, equipped with pollution response equipment, has been positioned to respond to any oil spill scenario. How did the ship capsize? According to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the MSC ELSA 3 vessel capsized rapidly in the early hours of Sunday 'due to flooding in one of the holds'. A hold is a section below deck where the cargo is stored. 'The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. Additionally, the ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks,' the ICG said in a post on X. 'ICG aircraft with advanced oil spill mapping technology are undertaking an assessment of the situation. Presently, no oil spill has been reported,' it added. The vessel departed for Kochi from Vizhinjam port on Friday, PTI reported. Natural disasters, human error, or equipment failure can trigger accidents involving oil tankers or ships. When oil spills into water, it rapidly spreads. Due to its lighter density, it forms a layer over water, obstructing sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis in marine plants and phytoplankton – organisms crucial for oxygen production. Marine animals also consume phytoplankton, which form the base of multiple food chains. Marine animals face immediate dangers from toxic exposure. With oil coating the feathers of birds, they may lose their insulation abilities, leading to hypothermia and drowning. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that fish and invertebrates may also endure challenges with reproduction and growth. The environmental consequences are influenced by factors such as the type of oil, the volume of the spill, weather conditions, and proximity to sensitive ecosystems. In more severe cases, the impact can be felt for decades. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is among the largest accidental oil spills in history. Starting April 20, 2010, over 4 million barrels of oil flowed over 87 days into the Gulf of Mexico, killing thousands of wildlife creatures. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) governs oil spills. It evolved from several older agreements and led to a protocol issued in 1978 following several oil spill disasters in the 1970s. India is also a signatory. The MARPOL Convention has six annexes, covering prevention of pollution from ships by Oil, Noxious liquid substances, Dangerous goods in packaged form, Sewage, Garbage and Air pollution from ships. It is enforced with the help of domestic legislation, such as the Merchant Shipping Act in India, which has provisions on civil liability and pollution prevention certificates. Indian ships and ships in Indian waters are mandated to follow these regulations. Ports also maintain oil spill contingency plans to handle local cases, while the Indian Coast Guard is the nodal agency. Some methods are skimming, in situ burning and releasing chemical dispersants. Skimming involves removing oil from the sea surface before it can reach sensitive areas along the coastline. In situ burning means burning a particular patch of oil after it has concentrated in an area. Releasing chemical dispersants helps break down oil into smaller droplets, making it easier for microbes to consume and further break it down into less harmful compounds. However, despite technological advancements, cleaning up oil spills is challenging. Oil spreads quickly, and rough seas and strong currents complicate cleanup efforts. Oils vary in properties, with some sinking or emulsifying with water and making separation tough. Methods like chemical dispersants can harm marine life, and manual cleanup is labour-intensive and often ineffective in remote areas. What should the local population do now? The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has cautioned the general public against touching any cargo containers or oil that may wash ashore. They have also urged people to immediately inform the police if they spot any containers or oil on the shore. Additionally, they said oil films could appear along parts of the coast. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, on Sunday said, 'Based on hypothetical simulations, the spilled oil pollutant can reach the coastal stretch of Alappuzha, Ambalapuzha, Arattupuzha and Karunagappally within 36-48 hours of release. These coastal zones are at risk of contamination and should be given prompt attention to minimise potential environmental impact.'
Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Harrowing disaster which killed 11 people now 'heartbreaking' Netflix film
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Deepwater Horizon, the emotionally charged retelling of real-life events, stands as a must-see film for those who seek both drama and heart-touching narratives. Peter Berg's 2016 disaster movie provides an unflinching look at the devastating Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred in 2010. The narrative pays tribute to the 11 workers who died during the tragic incident and features an all-star cast including Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson, Gina Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and Dylan O'Brien. Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, the movie hit theatres in September 2016. Despite being made on a hefty budget of $110 million, Deepwater Horizon didn't fare well commercially, earning just shy of $122 million globally – failing to recoup its costs. Nonetheless, it snagged two Oscar nominations for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects, and won Best Sound at the 70th BAFTA Awards. Mark Wahlberg, on ABC News' Good Morning America, spoke of his unease during filming. "What was really sketchy is when they lit me and Dylan O'Brien on fire," he said. (Image: Dumfries And Galloway Standard) "They lit us on fire, and I didn't feel too comfortable with that. They put gel and stuff on you, but then, you know, they put some other fluid on you and then they light you on fire and then they walk away. "And then the other guy goes and grabs his coffee and then he's like, 'Hold on a second. We ready to roll?' And I'm like, 'Dude, I'm on fire. Roll!'," reports the Daily Record. On the message the film tried to convey, he said: "Everybody knew about the environmental disaster, and it was horrific. But what people failed to recognize, or at least what the media failed to acknowledge, I think to the point where it was deserved, was that 11 people lost their lives. That was overlooked and for me it was a big surprise." The film was adapted from a December 2010 New York Times article, Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours, written by David Barstow, David Rohde, and Stephanie Saul. The screenplay was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Matthew Sand. Mark added: "Once I read the script and I read the New York Times piece, I was just shocked. I realise obviously a lot of people were affected, jobs were lost, the fishing industry was completely destroyed, but 11 people lost their lives. (Image: HANDOUT / FREE FROM PR) "Other people can find other jobs and other means, but those people aren't coming back. And we wanted to acknowledge them and their memory and honour them in a way that we felt they deserved and it was long overdue." Deepwater Horizon, released to critical acclaim, was a winner among audiences too. One critic said: "Admittedly, the heroics are overblown, but there's a devastating clarity in the way the script defines the causes of the disaster." Praise continued to roll in, with another viewer saying: "Deepwater Horizon is that rare disaster blockbuster that is thrilling without sacrificing story or character." Another wrote: "In short, Peter Berg has done it again. You come out shaken with excitement, but with a touch of shame, too, at being so easily thrilled." Another viewer said: "BLOCK BUSTER! I only do 5 stars for a very few films. Great story, awesome cast and acting. Gripping visually. Great pacing. This movie checks all of the boxes for an action flick." The sentiment was echoed by another reviewer who wrote: "One of the best disaster movies I've seen, apparently very close to the true events. Had me gripped right up to the emotional 'silent' conclusion. See it." Another said: "One of the few disaster movies I have watched more than once for the excellent acting and the reality of the events. The movie does a great job focusing on the men and women involved. We understand not only the enormity of the spill but the danger and mentality of the workers and officials." Deepwater Horizon is available to stream on Netflix.
