An alien sensation sweeps the globe
LILO & STITCH DIRECTOR DEAN FLEISCHER CAMP ON WHY WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF ITS KNEE-HIGH AGENT OF CHAOS
WORDS HARRY STAINER
Stitch strikes again.
“WE ALL RELATE less to the princess and more to the tiny whirlwind-of-disaster goblin that Stitch is.” Dean Fleischer Camp, director of the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, is a longstanding fan of the stowaway alien star of the 2002 original. And he’s far from alone. The latest trailer for the new film —which again sees Stitch crash-land in Hawaii and form a found family with two orphaned sisters —hit 158 million views on social media in 24 hours, which are big numbers for a live-action-remake preview. Then there’s the social-media frenzy sparked by the character’s return, from fans creating ‘Stitchcore’ videos —montages of the lively critter’s craziest moments —to documenting “vintage” merchandise from the animated film on TikTok. “People never forget how much they love Stitch,” says the director.