Reel News
Disney's announcement this week that "Lilo & Stitch" will yield a video sequel and television series is good but old news. That decision was made months ago, after a December screening in Honolulu, when Mouse House execs realized they had a major franchise in the animated feature film. Lilo & Stitch sequel official
In the three weekends since its release, "L&S" has surpassed $100 million at the box office, taking in $103 million in 17 days. The video sequel's new director, writer and some animators visited Kauai for six days in May -- more than two months ago -- for research because Disney had already given the green light to the projects. The team, which stayed at Kapaa's Islander on the Beach, scouted Hanapepe, Koloa and Kapaa towns, and Poipu, Kapaa and north shore beaches.
The group chose May Day week to observe keiki hula, visiting a third-grade halau at King Kaumuali'i Elementary School in Hanamaulu. Part of the video storyline has Lilo preparing her halau for a competition. The Disney group also asked to see a typical beach picnic, so three families prepared kalbi, barbecued chicken and poke for a gathering at Lydgate beach.
Tia Carrere will return as the voice of Nani; Jason Scott Lee, the voice of the surfer David, apparently will not return. Lee has also declined Disney's offer to work on the TV series, citing scheduling problems. No word yet if the Kamehameha Children's Choir will come on board.
"Stitch! -- The Movie" will be released in fall 2003 and serve as a bridge between the feature film and TV series. And "Stitch! -- The TV Series," is also slated for a fall 2003 launch.
In the video, Stitch is living on Earth with Lilo and Nani, aided by their friend, David, social worker Cobra Bubbles and fellow aliens Jumba and Pleakley. In a series of unfortunate accidents, Jumba's other 625 experiments also land in Hawaii and, one by one, are activated.
The series finds Lilo and Stitch searching for these experiments, turning them from bad to good, finding places where each can belong and contribute to the community, continuing the theme of ohana.
Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau officials, who promotionally partnered with Disney, are "ecstatic" about the film's success but are still hoping for a second theatrical release, said Gail Ann Chew, HVCB's vice president of strategic partnerships.
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Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.