- Lilo and Stitch followers are raging in regards to the adjustments made to the story’s ending
- The live-action remake’s ultimate scene is totally completely different from the animated basic
- Viewers are heading to Disney+ to look at the unique film and its sequels amid the controversy
Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch could be breaking data on the international field workplace, but it surely’s additionally breaking long-time followers’ hearts over the pointless change to the story’s ending.
Following its launch final Friday (May 23), considered one of 2025’s most anticipated new motion pictures set a brand new report for the biggest four-day Memorial Day weekend within the US. Indeed, in response to an official press launch from The Walt Disney Company, Lilo and Stitch‘s reimagining earned over $182 million stateside and $361 million worldwide throughout its opening weekend.
It’s not all excellent news for the rambunctious however lovable blue alien and his Hawaiian counterpart, although. Despite additionally incomes a 93% viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes, some viewers have hit out at Disney for altering the movie’s ultimate scene – a inventive resolution that is infuriated some who adored the 2002 animated authentic.
Full spoilers instantly observe for 2002 and 2025’s Lilo and Stitch.
In the unique, the movie ends with Stitch remaining on Earth with Lilo and her older sister Nani. That’s as a result of, in response to an adoption kind that the pair signed at an animal shelter that was housing Lilo (he was presumed to be a canine on the time), Nani and Lilo legally personal him.
However, the live-action remake upends that heart-warming ending. Instead of staying with Stitch and her youthful sibling and rebuilding their household dwelling, Nani heads off to the University of California to review marine biology. Meanwhile, Lilo and Stitch are taken in by David and Tutu, with the latter duo turning into the previous pair’s guardians.
Why has this alteration enraged followers? Because, in some viewers’ eyes, Lilo and Stitch‘s most recognizable line of dialogue – “Ohana means household” – and, by proxy, the movie’s main theme, is totally ruined by the truth that Nani leaves her sister and Stitch behind to review on the opposite facet of North America.
Indeed, quite a few irked followers have taken to Reddit to precise their frustration and exasperation over the unwelcome change. “I’m joyful Nani acquired her ending,” Parmesan_Pirate119 wrote, “But it felt pressured and unfaithful to the unique spirit of the movie.”
Comment from r/disney
“This was not a Lilo & Stitch story, this was a Nani story,” an irritated TownIdiot25 mentioned. “And, as a Nani story, I don’t like how they utterly modified the ending on the subject of the guardianship-of-Lilo state of affairs.”
“In the tip, they really have Nani give Lilo as much as the neighbors (…although nani offers lilo as much as state first) and go to varsity as a substitute, which feels utterly improper and out of character,” spider-man2401 added. The most annoyed response that I’ve seen, although, comes from noakai, who wrote: “Nani agreeing to present custody of Lilo to the state after which Lilo going to reside with different individuals so Nani might go to California for school is so amazingly silly I can not consider they went with it.”
This quartet is a mere snapshot of followers vexed by the change, however there are some who’ve defended the remake’s ultimate sequence. For instance, MrChiquitaBananaRN mentioned: “The ending would be the huge divide – Ohana IS household, however Ohana can be discovered household (i.e. Stitch). So, Lilo telling Nani to ‘go to the marines’ and Nani really doing it, whereas Lilo has her new help system there, I feel it really works.”
Regardless of what individuals consider Lilo and Stitch‘s modified ending, there’s one unmistakable constructive affect that the remake has had: it is induced an uptick within the variety of individuals watching the unique and its sequels on Disney+.
Indeed, within the UK, viewers have flocked to one of many world’s finest streaming providers to look at the 2002 animated film and its sibling movies. At the time of publication, Lilo and Stitch is the primary film on Disney+ UK, with Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch inserting at quantity two. Stitch! The Movie and Leroy and Stitch discover themselves at numbers 5 and 6, respectively.
It’s the same story within the US, with Lilo and Stitch sitting atop of the most-streamed motion pictures listing and Stitch! The Movie ranked at quantity two. Leroy and Stitch is in fifth place, too.
Will these flicks have endurance on Disney+? Probably not. They’ve seemingly seen a surge in viewership off the again of the remake’s launch and the controversy surrounding its ending. Nevertheless, it is attention-grabbing to see how properly these animated movies are acting on Disney’s main streamer. Maybe 2002’s Lilo and Stitch deserves a spot on our greatest Disney+ motion pictures listing!
