Many viewers are eagerly awaiting the upcoming Disney live-action show Lilo and Stitch Remake expresses their frustration with Cobra Bubbles’ casting choice. It was recently announced that Emmy Award-winning actress Courtney B. Vance will portray the former CIA agent turned social worker in the live-action remake of the 2002 Dean Fleischer animated Camp. Vance joins the film’s growing list of actors, which includes Zach Galifianakis as Agent Wendy Blakely, Kahyao Machado as David, Chris Sanders as Stitch, Sydney Agudong as Nanny, and newcomer Maya Kealoha as Lilo.
While Courtney B. Vance is a popular actor in his own right, many fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment that popular fan pick Ving Rhames wasn’t cast as Cobra Bubbles in the live event. Lilo and Stitch remake. Pointing out that the original animated character was not only voiced by Ramez, but also modeled after his character. Pulp Fiction character, Marcellus Wallace, many users were disappointed by the missed opportunity for the beloved actor to reprise the role that seemed to be perfect for him. Check out some fan reactions below:
Controversies continued with the casting of Lilo & Stitch Remake
The negative online reaction to Vance’s casting continues in an unfortunate direction of the Lilo and Stitch remake, which was already fraught with controversy regarding its casting choices. Although fan reception to Maia Kealoha as Lilo has been met with applause, this optimism is short-lived. Like casting for the remaining central characters in Lilo and Stitch When it was revealed, Disney was immediately met with widespread accusations of misrepresentation.
When it was announced that Lilo’s protective older sister Nani would be played by Sydney Agudong, social media was flooded with outrage over the casting because the actress has a noticeably lighter skin tone than her animated counterpart. Grievances about the film’s alleged whitewashing continued when Kahiau Machado was cast as David, Nani’s love interest. Some side-by-side comparisons of the live-action actors with the original animated characters were made to showcase the stark differences in their appearances and how their casting seemed to represent the erasure of aspects of Native Hawaiian culture that the original movie hero sought for.
As many frustrated social media users have pointed out, the controversy surrounding Lilo and Stitch It reflects the larger problem of color pervasiveness in the film industry. Given that the original Animation was the first animated feature film to be set in Hawaii and its authentic depiction of many Native Hawaiian cultural practices, the apparent frustration with the film’s development is understandable. While those working on the film in its early stages of development have declined to comment on the ongoing controversy, broad changes need to be made in their approach in order to Lilo and Stitch Re-made to achieve the same level of authenticity and acting as the beloved original.
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