Lilo & Stitch releases first live-action trailer – but fans are thrown by one "horrifying" character
Fans are impressed with the look of Stitch – Pleakley, less so.
The first trailer for Disney's Lilo & Stitch live action remake has been released, and while fans mostly seem excited by what they see, they have raised concerns about one particular character.
The trailer suggests that the new film will stick closely to the original, with Stitch fleeing to Earth and getting picked up at the dog rescue centre by Lilo.
He then goes on to cause havoc as the duo bond, but he continues to be hunted by both those on Earth and beyond.
Fans in particular like the look of Stitch in the film, calling the CGI creation "cute" – however, they seem less certain by the look of Pleakley, one of the aliens sent to capture Stitch, who has been dubbed "horrifying", "strange" and "terrifying".
One fan wrote on Twitter, which has been re-branded as X: "Wait WTH DID THEY DO TO PLEAKLEY HE LOOKS TERRIFYING"
Another added: "Stitch still cute, but Pleakley? Terrifying."
One fan also noted that they were "not sure about Jumba and Pleakly using human disguises", with the two characters seen morphing to look like their actors, Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis. However, they still said the film looks "amazing".
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Another said: "They didn’t show Jumba, but Pleakley looks very strange in that small bit we see of him as an alien. I can see why we’re not gonna see them as aliens in the whole movie, plus this being a workaround to not having too many CGI characters on screen at once."
Another fan said they were "genuinely surprised by how good this looks, and the animation is quite impressive", while one said there weren't "expecting much from this but it looks promising".
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The new film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo, while her co-stars include Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B Vance and Galifianakis.
Meanwhile, Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch, having provided the voice for the original 2002 animated film, which he also co-wrote and directed.
Lilo & Stitch will be released on Friday 23rd May 2025.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
