'Lilo & Stitch': Tia Carrere praises movie for not having a 'little blonde, dainty' Disney princess

At this point we can all admit that live action remakes of beloved Disney films have been more misses than hits, but the new Lilo & Stitch (now in theatres) is the best of the bunch. Starring Maia Kealoha as Lilo, alongside Sydney Agudong, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Chris Sanders back to voice Stitch, it's a worthy remake of the original 2002 movie.
As Carrere and Vance told Yahoo Canada in Toronto, much of the success can be attributed to director Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), who approached the new Lilo & Stitch with "respect" for the original. Notably, he also really listened to everyone involved with making this film.
"I could tell from the beginning they wanted to stick to what was at the core of the original film," Carrere said. "He was very mindful to respect what was canon, but also to put his fingerprints on the characters."
"Like my character, Mrs. Kekoa. His mom is a social worker and he was looking at the wardrobe and looking at how she would say things, and consulting with his mom, and I love that. ... It's hard, because everybody's looking at you like, 'Are you going to do this? Are you going to mess this up?' And ... he was so on top of these specifics."
For Vance, who plays Cobra Bubbles, there's a lot more empathy and complexity to the character, compared to what we saw in the 2002 animated version, and the actor highlighted that was a response to Vance being able to bring himself into the character.
"I've played those kinds of authoritarian characters, and to know the love in the room changes the temperature in all of us," he said.
"There's a scene where I'm listening to them sing the song on the hammock and I'm supposed to be there just observing, and making sure that no one gets out of line. And I'm just sitting there listening, and it's like, 'What's going on here? What are those feelings? ... That's not what I do. I don't do feelings. I don't do help well.'"
Vance also echoed his co-star's comments about how effective Camp was as a collaborative leader on this project.
"He's bringing all of himself, ... that's for me the mark of a good director, is one that says, 'This is my idea, make it better,'" Vance said. "That collaborative nature that he has made everyone feel they can bring their A game."
An interesting shift in the new Lilo & Stitch is that Carrere went from voicing Lilo's sister Nani in the original film (played by Sydney Agudong in the 2025 version), to playing social worker Mrs. Kekoa who's trying to ensure that Nani can retain guardianship of her sister.
Reflecting back on the character Nani, Carrere always appreciated that the film moved away from the typical Disney princesses we saw on screen.
"I thought it was pretty maverick back in the day that she was the thick, brown Disney princess, she wasn't this skinny, mini little blonde, dainty thing that you had to worry that she was going to get hurt," Carrere stressed. "Nani is an athlete. She kicks butt, she surfs, and then to see this embodied in real life in Sydney, who's just a tremendous force. I couldn't be more proud that I was part of this legacy."
But so much of the heart of the new Lilo & Stitch sits with Maia Kealoha as Lilo, with a sweet, bubbly and energetic personalty, seemingly both on-screen and off.
Vance highlighted that working with an actor who is now just seven years old is about collaborating with her family, and it reminded him of working with a young Elijah Wood in the 1993 film The Adventures of Huck Finn.
"I did [The Adventures of Huck Finn] with Elijah Wood back in the day and it was an exact same situation, Mom was there and Mom was like, 'OK son, it's time to go home now,'" Vance said. "It starts with her family and if the family is the right type of family for her in this environment, then all of us go, we can relax, because we know that she knows we're not going to take advantage. Mom and Dad know we're not going to take advantage."
"Maia's just magic," Carrere added. "When I first heard about doing this film, as a local person, I'm like, where are they going to find this kid? Because Lilo is such a specific personality."
"She is Lilo. There's nobody better than her. She doesn't act like she's precocious, she just is a quirky kid, and she's fascinating, endlessly fascinating to all of us."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Insider

an hour ago

• Business Insider

Carrie-Anne Moss is finally having fun

Carrie-Anne Moss has lived many lives. At 30, she got her big break opposite Keanu Reeves as Trinity, the sunglasses-wearing, gun-toting badass who fought the evils of a simulated reality in " The Matrix." In her 40s, she scaled down her workload so she could raise her three kids. Now in her 50s and with her kids off to college, Moss is back on our screens, making a dramatic appearance as a Jedi knight in the "Star Wars" Disney+ series " The Acolyte" and starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the second season of his Netflix series "FUBAR." But she still holds her breakout role close — so close that she almost turned on "The Matrix" on a recent plane trip to Los Angeles. "I seriously almost watched it, but I didn't want anyone on the plane to think I was watching it to watch myself," Moss told Business Insider. "I just love the story." While she ended up watching her former costar Reeves kick butt in " John Wick" instead, Moss still cherishes the opportunity to revisit the famous Wachowski sisters movie. "'The Matrix' is one of those movies where, as you grow in your thinking, it becomes something different," Moss continued. "There is so much in it that I know I haven't received yet in terms of storytelling." These days, Moss isn't just poring over her old movies in search of new meaning. Returning to acting in earnest now that her children are older has given her a newfound sense of enjoyment for the craft and the experience. That's especially true of her time on "FUBAR." As the East German spy Greta, Moss not only puts on an accent, but gets to play a juicy arc as a villain — one who kisses Schwarzenegger's character in their first meeting. The role was reinvigorating. "I love working and love so many of the jobs that I've done, but that wouldn't be how I would describe them," Moss said. "Having a job for the first time where I can say, 'That was so much fun,' it makes me want to do more." In the latest interview in Business Insider's "Role Play" series, Moss reminisces about about her years as a struggling actor, getting pulled over while nursing her baby, and the moment when the "Memento" script finally clicked. On getting sick immediately after learning she got the part in 'The Matrix' Business Insider: Let's take it back to the '90s. You're landing a few roles, most notably on the "Melrose Place" spinoff series, "Models Inc." What are you doing in that time to just pay the bills, pay the rent, and get by before the big break? Carrie-Anne Moss: I waited tables a little bit when I first came out. I was a model when I was first breaking into acting, so I made a little bit of money doing that. And then I would get little parts that would just make me enough money to get to the next one. I didn't know about paying taxes, so when I got that tax bill, I was like, "Oh, no! What do you mean?" I was in acting class, I was going to the gym, didn't have many friends, I would make friends on the treadmill, just becoming an adult. I was pretty innocent, naive, and very excited about living this dream that I had had my whole life. LA was so amazing then. Tell me about the moment you learned you got the role of Trinity in "The Matrix." I screen tested for it. I did all these different auditions to get to the final screen test, which was with Keanu [Reeves]. And it was on my 30th birthday. I met Keanu that day and felt very comfortable with him. He was very kind. I was very nervous. I mean, there was so much riding on it. You have to sign your contract before you go into the screen test, so you already know that if you get it how much you're going to get paid. So that just builds more pressure. Yeah, and I kind of didn't expect to get it. But at the same time, I had gone through so many times thinking I wasn't going to get to the next level, and then I got to the next level. So I do the screen test, and then they had a week to decide if they are going to book you. I knew the deadline was a Friday, so the whole week, when my phone rang, you're just wondering. The Friday I was supposed to hear from my manager and my lawyer, they called and said, "They've asked for an extension. They've asked for another week." And I was like, "Oh, god!" So by the next Friday, I had totally let it go, to be honest. It wasn't on my mind like it had been the week before. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . They called me, and everyone was on the phone, and they told me I got it, and I remember I instantly got sick. I remember that distinctly — I literally felt a head cold. I think I was holding so much stress, I was crying, and I was so happy, and got sick. I remember getting off the phone with them, and I didn't even know how to tell anyone. It was a surreal moment, almost too much. On the scene that convinced her to do 'Memento' My manager is the one who really wanted me to read that. I was reading it, and I was intrigued, but it does take quite a few reads. And I remember, even after reading it a couple times, I didn't fully get it. But when I got to that scene where Natalie turns on Leonard — I remember the big splurge I did for myself after "The Matrix" was I bought myself a lawn chair so I could lay down and read scripts out in the sun. It was a serious splurge — and I remember lying on it and reading that moment in the script and feeling, "Oh. My. God." I just felt I had to do that scene. I knew right then and there. There are other layers to why I wanted to do the movie, but so many years later, that still stands out. I like these characters and these moments where I would never ever have anything like that in my life. There's such freedom in a character that would do that. You can't play that wrong, really. She is so diabolical in that moment, she's so horrible and so nasty. So to be that manipulative and go in there and do that to him like that. I just felt that would be so incredibly fun to do. On losing her acting ambition while making 'Disturbia' Shia LaBeouf Not so much. I had just had my second baby, and I was not really that open to working at that particular moment. I had a 2-year-old and a new baby. I remember my team at the time going, "We really think you should do this." And very rarely did they do that; they really respected my need for being home. I do feel motherly to younger actors now, but back then, I didn't feel that. I really liked Shia and thought he was really talented and cared a great deal about him, but I didn't feel like that. You were literally feeling motherly to your own child. Was your baby on set with you? Yeah. We shot that in LA. I remember getting pulled over on the freeway, nursing him in his car seat at night while I had someone driving me. He was crying so hard to be fed. I was crying. I was thinking, I can't do this. But you figure it out. I did not get a ticket. I was crying, and the baby was crying. I think the cop was just like, "You need to go home." And I was like, "I know!" After "Disturbia," was that the time when you decided to focus more on being a mother than acting? Oh, yeah. I think I had my first child after doing "The Matrix." I think for the premiere of the second one, I was pregnant. It all changed. I was one of those people who didn't even want anyone else to hold my baby. It was all encompassing. It was feeding me so much that it wasn't like I made any kind of mental decision. I actually, physically, couldn't do the work. And I didn't have a built-in support system, and I didn't want it. So when I worked after I had kids, it was, "Can I get help?" So that was really hard. And it sounds so corny, but I would get offers and think about it, especially when my kids were really young, I just thought, at the end of my life, am I going to care that I did another movie or if I held my baby? It was a no-brainer. I have to say I lost a lot of my ambition for the business. But now that the kids have grown, has the drive returned? Yeah, totally different. I don't know if you have ever seen that movie " Searching for Debra Winger." I watched it again recently, and what Debra Winger said is that there's a season for everything. There's a season to be a struggling actor and eating chips and salsa and a little bit of sushi and having enough money to have a coffee — I mean, that was my life. I wasn't going on vacation. I worked a lot because I never went anywhere. So when everyone went home at Thanksgiving, I would get the job. I couldn't afford a plane ticket home. You have your very focused and driven time of really wanting it and fighting for it, and then, for me, a change happened when I had kids. I remember when I went to do "Jessica Jones," it was very jarring. I went to work in New York, and I was commuting a lot, and I literally felt like I didn't even know how to talk to people. I didn't know how to do Uber. Krysten Ritter had to show me how to do it. I mean, going to set and everyone having phones, that was a real culture shock for me. You're doing a take, and the dolly grip is on his phone. It was like, "When did this happen?" On her death on 'The Acolyte' and showing her kids 'The Matrix' It's great to see you working more. You were fantastic in the brief time you were on "The Acolyte." Was it explained to you, going into taking the role, that you would die in the first six minutes of the first episode? Yes. [Show creator] Leslye [Headland] really pitched that to me that she really wanted me to do this because she wanted it to be believable. Did you like that idea? I didn't really think about it. I think the reaction to it from the fans, I kind of thought, "Wow, how did I not think of that?" All of them have seen "The Matrix" at a certain age. Yeah, it wasn't like, "Hey, I really want to screen a movie for you." They knew it, maybe their friends talked about it. This was by the time they were 12 or 13. All their friends came over, and I made popcorn, and all the moms approved; it was a big thing. I remember when my oldest saw it for the first time, the look of shock on his face because I was the mom who said, "Don't use that stick as a gun, we don't play with guns in this house." [ Laughs.] That made me really laugh. When your kids realize you had a whole life that they have no idea —like, "Who is that person?" — that's how it should be. Your kids should be the center of their own world. I've always been very sensitive to that. Kids who have parents who are actors, it's often their parents are the center of attention, they get a lot of attention when they are out in the world. I always stepped back and didn't want that for them.

Newsweek

2 hours ago

• Newsweek

Signs Your Baby Is Highly Sensitive, According to a Child Psychologist

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A TikTok video of a baby crying during a song from The Little Mermaid has sparked heartwarming discussion online about highly sensitive children. In the video, Allie, the baby's aunt, filmed the moment her niece swelled with emotion in accordance with the Disney song. Many viewers in the comments speculated that the baby might be experiencing "frisson"—a French term for the physical chills some people get when emotionally moved by music. But could this be something else entirely? Newsweek spoke to Allie, 32, along with a child psychologist to better understand the adorable phenomenon. Allie said that she has seen her niece, Eleanor, have such a strong response to music has been incredible to witness—and started early. Photos from Allie's TikTok video of her baby niece. Photos from Allie's TikTok video of her baby niece. @alliemorganb/TikTok "[It] has been so precious because it's such raw emotion coming out that she obviously can't control, and shows what a tender heart she has," Allie explained. "She has been reacting this way to certain songs since she was six months old." The first time Eleanor showed this emotional response was when her dad was singing Faithfully by Journey around the house. At first, he thought she might be fussy, but after he sat down and continued singing, Eleanor continued to get emotional at certain parts of the song, Allie said. Eleanor's deep emotional sensitivity to music shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, though—her family is filled with musicians and singers. Allie went on to say that Eleanor is the first grandchild in her family. "She has such an infectious and happy personality and is so affectionate to those close to her," she said. "So, to see this happy baby get so moved by music is the most heartwarming thing, but not a big surprise considering our family is very into music." Three Signs Your Baby Might Be Sensitive While many TikTok commenters suggested that Eleanor might be experiencing "frisson," Dr. Kanchi Wijesekera, a clinical child psychologist and founder of Milika Center for Therapy & Resilience, offered Newsweek a different perspective. "The term 'frisson' isn't a clinical term," she said. "There is no evidence confirming that infants can experience frisson in the way adults do." Instead, Dr. Wijesekera believes that Eleanor's emotional response is likely tied to sensory processing and emotional recognition. "What's likely being observed is a combination of sensory processing and emotional recognition," she explained. She also pointed to Dr. Elaine Aron's research on highly sensitive children. Although Aron's studies focused on toddlers and older children, Dr. Wijesekera said that early emotional reactions to music could be an early indicator of emotional sensitivity in infants. She explained three signs that your baby might be more emotionally sensitive: Strong reactions to music or art: "If your baby calms or cries in response to music or expressive faces, it may reflect early emotional attunement. This is not the same as frisson, but it's a sign they're taking in the emotional tone of their environment." Heightened awareness of environment: "Babies who startle easily at loud sounds, track visual stimuli, or seem observant may be more sensitive to sensory and emotional cues." Emotional contagion: "If your baby mirrors your mood or becomes distressed when others are upset, it suggests early empathy, a skill for emotional intelligence." Dr. Wijesekera also suggests that parents and caregivers can support their baby's emotional sensitivity by creating gentle environments that respect the child's need for calm and soothing stimuli. While Eleanor might not be experiencing "frisson" in the scientific sense, her reaction is an adorable reminder that emotional sensitivity can emerge very early in life. Allie concluded, "It could be [frisson], or she could just be more sensitive to music than average, but we will keep an eye out for that as she grows up."

Hypebeast

3 hours ago

• Hypebeast

Jon Bernthal's Punisher Joins Tom Holland in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'

Summary Jon Bernthalis bringing his formidablePunisherto the big screen. As perThe Hollywood Reporter,Bernthal's character will be making its silver screen debut inSpider-Man: Brand New DayalongsideTom Holland, who plays the titular role. The story follows the events ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, where the world's knowledge of Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man was erased. Bernthal's return as the Punisher, a character he first played inMarvel'sDaredevilNetflixseries, is notable given his insistence on maintaining the character's violent, R-rated feel. This raises the question about how such a tone will integrate with the typically more kid-friendlySpider-Manfilms. Marvel is clearly investing in morePunishertitles, with the actor set to return forDaredevil: Born Againseason two and a standalonePunisherfeature for Disney+, which he is co-writing. Much of theBrand New Day'splot remains under wraps, with rumors circulating about numerous potential Jacob Batalon are confirmed to reprise their roles as MJ and Ned, though the extent of their involvement is still Sink fromStranger Thingsis also a significant new addition to the cast, with fans speculating her role to be eitherX-Menmutant Jean Gray or another version of Mary Jane 'MJ' Watson. Spider-Man: Brand New Dayhits theaters July 31, 2026.