Disney’s live-action Lilo and Stitch sparks debates regarding colorism

In recent years Disney has begun releasing multiple live-action adaptations of classic animated films. Disney announced a live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch in 2018. This upcoming film has once again garnered the attention of social media users after Disney revealed a large portion of the cast.

The news of a live-action adaptation of Lilo and Stitch was met with excitement by long-time fans. Fans began expressing their fears that the film would be whitewashed.

Lilo and Stitch takes place in Hawaii, and the film centers around native Hawaiian characters. People have taken to social media to express their criticisms towards the casting choice for the movie as the actors are light-skinned despite the characters having darker skin in the original film.

Some fans argue that those outraged by the fact that Sydney Agudong is a light-skinned Hawaiian taking on the role of a dark-skinned character are hypocrites. In early 2022, when Halle Bailey took on the role of the Little Mermaid, Disney was accused of “race-swapping” a white character with a black actress. Social media users came to Disney’s defense, arguing that Ariel’s skin color was not a relevant factor in the movie. Now that the cast for Lilo and Stitch is being deemed too white, critics are accusing those opposed to these light-skinned actors of reverse racism because they don’t think the actors are dark enough for the role, even though they argue that skin color shouldn’t be relevant in these films. 

Disney has not released any details about the live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch yet, so it is unclear how they plan to address these concerns. However, fans hope the studio will listen to their feedback and make the necessary changes to ensure that the film is a respectful and faithful adaptation of the original.