Latest news with #liveAction
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A naughty alien beat out Jim Crow vampires at the box office
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (WSAV) — Disney's live action 'Lilo & Stitch' has surpassed 'Sinners' as the second-highest grossing movie of the year. 'Lilo & Stitch' took first place again with $63 million from 4,410 locations in North America. It was enough to pass 'Sinners' with $280.1 million in domestic ticket sales. Globally, its running total is $610.8 million. 'Sinners,' meanwhile, is still going strong in its seventh weekend with another $5.2 million, bumping it to $267.1 million domestically and $350.1 million globally. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Dean DeBlois Is Hopeful Cate Blanchett Will Return for ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2'
io9 recently sat down with How to Train Your Dragon filmmaker Dean DeBlois to chat about being the steward of DreamWorks and Universal Pictures' dragon franchise. In our conversation, when discussing how awesome it was to see Gerard Butler reprise his role as Hiccup's dad Stoic, we brought up other actors we'd like to see reprise roles or cameo in live-action, including original stars Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Cate Blanchett. DeBlois revealed to io9 that he hopes Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett will reprise her role as Valka in the announced upcoming live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon 2. 'We are keeping our fingers crossed,' he said, 'But yeah, I don't know… it's a little early to tell because I'm just writing the script.' Fans of the animated film know how big of a deal it would be to see Blanchett return to the franchise in the pivotal role. It's an early reveal in the sequel that Hiccup's mom Valka, who is mentioned a few times in the live-action film, is alive. And it's a twist that propels the stakes in the animated sequel which picks up five years after the events of the first film. Like Butler, Blanchett could easily slip back into the role and give us another undisputed fantasy genre queen performance to follow The Lord of the Rings' Galadriel and Thor: Ragnarok's Hela. However, we will note that Blanchett has recently talked about wanting to retire, telling the Radio Times last month she has stopped referring to herself as an actress: 'It's because I'm giving up… My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting. [There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life.' As far as the original Hiccup and Astrid—Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera—coming back, that would have to be more of a cameo situation. They're older than the characters they played, and Hiccup and Astrid were re-cast with Mason Thames and Nico Parker for the live-action movie. 'We'll see what happens. Jay and America have been really supportive; in fact they weighed in on the casting when I was down to my top three Astrids and Hiccups. I shared them [with Jay and America], just to hear what they had to say, so they've been super supportive,' DeBlois said. 'But I think for their schedules it just wouldn't work out for this movie, but maybe in the future.' How to Train Your Dragon opens June 13.
Geek Tyrant
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Disney's LILO & STITCH Remake Sparks Fan Fury Over the Ending; What Happened to Ohana? — GeekTyrant
Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is now playing in theaters. It had a strong Memorial Day opening weekend, and while the studio made an effort to recapture the emotional core of the original, one big change has longtime fans calling foul. For a lot of fans, the way the movie ends is not just a creative liberty, it's a betrayal of what the original film was all about… ohana. At first glance, the remake plays it safe. The dynamic between Lilo and Nani, sisters holding onto each other after their parents' death, remains central. Nani is still nineteen, still fiercely protective, still trying to keep her fractured family together despite the looming pressure from child services. If you're watching with nostalgia goggles, you might be lulled into thinking, 'Okay, they kept the heart.' But, then the third act hits. In the original animated film, the emotional climax hinges on Nani refusing to give up custody of Lilo. It's not just a plot point; it's the entire emotional spine. Her willingness to fight for her sister, to sacrifice her own dreams to preserve their bond, is what made their relationship so powerful. In the live-action version, though, that bond ends with a handshake and a goodbye. Lilo stays in Hawaii with neighbors as Nani heads off to college in San Diego. It's a major rewrite of the original ending, and for many fans, it completely undercuts what made Nani such a beloved character. 'Nani not giving up custody of Lilo and fighting for her WAS the point,' one fan, @inkfycreates, posted online. 'Nani and Lilo [bonding] due to Stitch WAS the point.' Another fan, @JemStarGold, critisized the change as a misguided attempt to modernize Nani, saying: 'This feels like an attempt to girlboss Nani by giving her more ambitions, but they so easily could have just expanded on what the original implied. 'Show that she was an aspiring professional surfer before she had to take care of Lilo, then have her pursue it again at the end.' They're not wrong. This isn't about hating on ambition or character growth, about how they went about doing it. The original film didn't need to show Nani giving up everything forever. But it did make it clear that her first priority was Lilo. The live-action version flips that dynamic, and in doing so, loses the very thing that made Nani such a hero to so many. Yes, the movie is doing well at the box office. Yes, audiences are showing up. But that doesn't mean fans aren't allowed to be disappointed when the soul of a story is stripped away in the name of reinvention. The live-action Lilo & Stitch is in theaters now, and if you're curious, it's worth seeing for yourself. Just don't be surprised if the ending leaves a sting. Let us know what you think! Did Disney make the right call, or did they miss the ohana mark entirely?
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Controversial Ending Of Disney's New ‘Lilo & Stitch,' Explained
Disney's live-action remake of 'Lilo & Stitch' Viewers have something of a love-hate relationship with Disney's slate of live-action remakes, which are often criticized for failing to live up to the original animated films, yet sometimes proving very popular at the box office. The original Lilo & Stitch was a modest success, grossing $273 million worldwide, but fans look back on the film fondly—it's beautifully animated, boasts unique character design, a good sense of humor, and depicts Hawaii as a lush, colorful paradise. While the new Lilo & Stitch has already overtaken the original film at the box office, commentators have pointed out that the live-action remake doesn't capture the beauty and heart of the animated film. Plus, a significant change made to the ending of the film has sparked backlash and controversy on social media. Lilo & Stitch depicts Lilo and her sister Nani in a difficult, but very loving relationship—the two are orphaned and Nani is tasked with taking care of her little sister. Nani is the only one who understands Lilo's eccentricity, but Nani is overstretched and struggles to care for her little sister, resulting in the state threatening to take Lilo away from Nani. Of course, the sister's lives face greater disruption when the alien Stitch enters their lives disguised as a dog, sabotaging Nani's desperate attempts to get her life in order. The story emphasizes the importance of 'Ohana,' meaning family that binds beyond traditional blood ties. The original animated film grants Lilo's family a happy-ever-after, ending with Nani, Lilo and Stitch finding peace together, bolstered by a new support system of aliens and humans. The live-action remake, however, has a different interpretation of Ohana. Spoilers Ahead In the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, Nani (Sydney Agudong) and Lilo (Maia Kealoha) are in the exact same situation, but the film ends with the state taking Lilo away from her big sister. Fans of the original film were quite shocked to see the change. For context, this change is presented as an unambiguously happy ending for Nani, as a new character is introduced, Tūtū (Amy Hill), a grandmotherly neighbour who adopts Lilo. This ensures that Nani can still see Lilo regularly and remain close, but also gives her the freedom to leave for college in California to study marine biology. However, fans pointed out that there was something dark about Nani's future career being placed above her care of Lilo, a strangely cold ending with a glossy, 'girlboss' spin. Lilo hasn't gone away, exactly, but the two no longer live together, and Nani is no longer taking care of her sister. Given that the original film (and the remake) very much emphasizes the importance of keeping families together with the phrase 'no one gets left behind,' this struck many viewers as a cold attempt at a happy ending. Indeed, given the terrible history of indigenous children being torn away from their families, many pointed out that the creative choice came across as wildly insensitive. The outcry was so strong, it even inspired satirical fan art. Others wondered why Nani couldn't simply study marine biology in Hawaii. Some speculated that the change was made to give the film a newfound sense of realism. Whatever the reasoning behind the change, the result is that the theme of the story shifts to a more individualistic message. During the ending of the live-action Lilo & Stitch, the phrase 'nobody gets left behind' is countered by Tūtū, who tells Nani, 'don't leave yourself behind.'
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Why People Are Furious About the New ‘Lilo & Stitch'
Walt Disney Pictures' live-action Lilo & Stitch opened over Memorial Day weekend. While it's making massive numbers for the studio, fans of the original film are shocked by the enormous changes to the animated film in its adaptation. There's minor stuff like Pleakley's distance from drag, but the film's human version of the character still very much fancies femme wear anyways. There's also anger at the omission of Gantu, the Galactic Federation's strongman, who you could argue felt like a random third act villain in the overstuffed animated feature's ending (famously, the 2002 movie underwent major changes mid-production, since its original ending took place on a hijacked plane). What's more, the culture has shifted a lot in the past few decades. So it makes sense that the new movie makes some alterations, including offering a more grounded take on the story. In particular, the ending is stirring up heated discourse on the internet regarding Nani's (Sydney Agudong) custody of her little sister Lilo (Maia Kealoha). In the 2002 film, Nani overcomes her social worker, former CIA agent Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames in the original, Courtney B. Vance in the live action film), in his attempts to get Lilo taken away from her; he ultimately relents after family is placed under the protection of the interstellar Galactic Federation. That's not at all what happens in the remake. Here, Nani hands over guardianship to their grandmotherly neighbor Tutu (Amy Hill), who throughout the film watches over the sisters as they try to have a parent and child dynamic, so Nani can leave home and attend college. Nani, who is implied to be just out of high school, really struggles to keep her little family afloat in the new film, especially after Stitch crash-lands into their lives. Tutu, with the help of their case worker Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the animated film, playing a new character separated entirely from Vance's version of Bubbles, who remains a CIA agent), facilitates a way for the girls to stay sisters and yet both still have a childhood. And in Nani's case, that means the opportunity to leave her sister in safe hands while she follows her own goals, and presumably better provide for Lilo and Stitch in the future. This recontextualization of the story's themes drive this change, and not everyone is happy about it. The significant thread that ties everything together in both films is the exploration of 'Ohana,' the Hawaiian word for 'family,' and emphasizes that 'no one gets left behind or forgotten.' The original Lilo & Stitch, placed in a broader context of Hawaii's cultural relationship with the United States and colonial underpinnings between the two nations (touched on in both the original and the remake when Nani sings 'Aloha Oe' to her sister, a traditional song often interpreted as lamentation of the loss of Hawaii's sovereignty under American annexation), has often been considered as critiquing U.S. interests in Hawaii and the historical legacy of colonialism's separation of families. And so, a lot of the criticism of the new ending argues that Nani has seemingly giving up her sister to the system, in order to follow her own desires to go to college, betrays the idea of Ohana that's is championed by the original film. Instead, the live action film comes at this struggle by centering Nani being forced to grow up beyond her years in order to look after Lilo. In the original film, Nani is presented as older than she is in the live-action film (the fact that she is Lilo's guardian suggests that she's at least 18, although it's never explicitly stated), something that always struck me as a commentary on girls having to be treated as more traditionally motherly upon reaching a certain age, pushed into preconceived expectations and roles even in their youths. While Nani's story is more explicitly about her struggle to balance caring for Lilo with the mania compounded by Stitch's arrival, the story of young women, especially women of color, being forced by circumstance to grow up too quickly no doubt resonates with the broad audience a film like Lilo & Stitch has. As a mother now, I can look back at the 2002 film and see that Nani was still a kid herself, and prioritizes her sister over her own potential dreams and aspirations. She leaves herself behind to be her little sister's guardian after they lost their parents, especially because that version of Nani and Lilo didn't have a village to look out for them. Speaking to CinemaBlend, producer Jonathan Eirich shared that Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, who co-scripted the 2025 film, had some insight into how the animated version's lack of a community around Nani and Lilo didn't sit right. 'Something [Chris] said early on, he was like, 'I don't think in Hawai'i, if these two sisters had just lost their parents, I don't think they would be as isolated.' [Knowing] the community of Hawaii there would be support for them.' So, we sort of had this notion of this neighbor character, Tutu, that is actually there for them earlier in the story.' Community functioning as an extension of family becomes a new reinterpretation of Ohana in the live-action film. Instead of the case worker being Bubbles, trying to foil Nani's attempts at keeping Lilo (and his ex-CIA background once more explicitly tying him into the U.S.-Hawaii relationship as cultural context) in the animated feature, in the new film the case worker is now a fellow native Hawaiian character who encourages Nani to see if she can make the transition work. It really approaches this idea in a broader sense of Hawaiian culture, where we're repeatedly reminded that Nani's 'kuleana,' or responsibility, is to give Lilo the best possible future. In that context, you really feel for Nani as a girl struggling to keep her family afloat while grieving her parents. And this is before Stitch arrives in the picture, which really steers the focus to the sisters needing their childhood reclaimed as they have adventures with their new 'dog.' But no matter how the changes to the original were going to be handled, a backlash to Lilo & Stitch would've been inevitable regardless, given the broad cynicism towards Disney's live-action remakes in recent years regardless of their box office successes. Nani doesn't give up her sister to strangers in a foster system, as many who might not have seen the movie claim. Tutu and Mrs. Kekoa help them navigate toward a solution where they're still together and with their found family. She sees that she can lean on her extended family that's always been there, while also getting a chance to experience early adulthood without sacrificing herself or her sister. Hill herself recently expounded on that idea of found family within the concept of Ohana, prior to the blowback. 'It's not just the family, it's now the extended family. And I'm part of that extended family. I'm not blood related to them. I live next door. I knew the parents. I knew the kids since they were little. And I just feel so close to them. And it just is, of course, a natural progression to feel like I want to take care of them and also be a little nosy about things. Cause isn't that what family is?' she said in an interview posted on Stage. It makes sense for Tutu to play the role of guardian to not just Lilo, but Nani too, in supporting her pursuit of higher education and rediscovering her love of surfing. The movie even provides a more fantastical solution to the issue of Nani leaving her sister and Hawaii behind, which is set up earlier in the film. Remember that portal gun Jumba uses to get to various spots where Stitch was sighted? In the end, it's revealed that Nani now has it, which means she can come home home after school and still be very much present in Lilo's life. It sure beats sleeping in a dorm room when you can easily transport to your room at home, and it still keeps the sisters together—a best of both worlds that allows the remake to have its own take on similar themes to the animated original.
