Zach Galifianakis Joins ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Movie at Disney [Exclusive]

The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis has joined the upcoming ‘Lilo & Stitch’ live-action film, which is currently prepping to begin production in Hawaii. ‘Lilo & Stitch’ is a live-action remake of the 2002's Disney animated film of the same name.

The character Zach would be portraying is not known, but considering the film also belongs to the comedy genre, fans can surely expect to enjoy him. Zach is joining Chris Sanders, who is returning to voice the character of Stitch. Sanders voiced the same character in the animated movie.

Zach Galifianakis is known for The Hangover trilogy, which earned him the MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance. Apart from that his notable Hollywood films are Due Date (2010), The Campaign (2012), Birdman (2014), Keeping Up with the Joneses, and Masterminds (2016). He recently voiced Felix Fischoeder in  The Bob's Burgers Movie. Galifianakis has also given his voice in a few animated movies including Ron's Gone Wrong, The Lego Batman Movie, and Missing Link. He can be next seen in the upcoming films - The Beanie Bubble and Winner, both of which have completed production. Galifianakis also hosts the talk show "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis."

Lilo & Stitch follows around two individuals: a Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, raised by her older sister Pelekai Nani after their parent's deaths, and an extraterrestrial creature called Experiment 626, adopted by Lilo as her "dog" and renamed "Stitch". Stitch was an escaped alien experiment from a distant planet who is being pursued at every turn by agents looking to capture and extinguish him. However, the seemingly irredeemable Stitch is relieved to learn that being loved and being a part of a family are the most important things in the world – or, more precisely, the universe.

Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois wrote and directed the original animated movie, which was released in 2002 and grossed $273 million at the worldwide box office. The animated film was based on an idea by Sanders, who originally conceived the character Stitch in the 1980s.

“Lilo & Stitch” spawned multiple spinoffs, including the direct-to-video sequels “Stitch: The Movie,” “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” and “Leroy and Stitch.” A TV series called “Lilo & Stitch: The Series” ran for 65 episodes between September 20, 2003, and July 29, 2006, on the Disney channel. The series, as well as the original parts of the franchise that centered on Lilo Pelekai and were set in Hawaii, concluded on June 23, 2006, with the television film Leroy & Stitch.

The live-action Lilo & Stitch will be directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp based on a screenplay written by Mike Van Waes. The movie will begin filming next month in O'ahu, Hawaii. The movie is currently casting with casting directors Randi Hiller and Rachel Whitle Sutton. Lilo & Stitch is currently set to release in theaters on May 10, 2024. Reportedly, it may directly premiere on Disney+.

Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback, the company behind Disney’s “Aladdin” remake, are producing this live-action film with Ryan Halprin and Louie Provost serving as executive producers. Walt Disney Pictures is the production company and distributor.