‘Lilo & Stitch’ Director Says ‘Frozen’ Compliment Is ‘Disappointing’ For This One Reason

For the first time, “Lilo & Stitch” deserves respect.

Long before Anna made a snowman or Elsa learned to handle it, a 2002 Disney movie set the standard for animated sibling stories.

But the success of “Frozen” and its sequel, which is among the highest-grossing animated films of all time, resonated with Lilo & Stitch co-writer and director Chris Sanders, mostly due to praise. of the blockbuster. The franchise focuses on family love.

“To be clear, I think Frozen’s is perfect,” Sanders told The New York Times for an interview to mark the film’s 20th anniversary. “But it was a bit frustrating for me because people were like,‘ Finally, a romantic relationship with these two women ’and I thought,‘ We did it! This has been completely done before.

It’s undeniable that “Lilo & Stitch” has broken the shape that will allow future Disney films to tell more emotionally based stories about strong female characters.

Like “Frozen,” the film centers on two daughters, Lilo and Nani, whose relationship ended after their parents died, so the latter became the title character’s legal guardian. Their lives in Hawaii are turned upside down with the arrival of a beloved but troubled foreign hunter named Stitch, who helps remind the siblings of the true meaning of family – or Ohana – in the film’s most quoted phrase.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the film pretends to be a rare Disney film starring a woman who isn’t all about romance.

Sanders and the producers explained that they intensively crafted the story to show the real issues and show the realistic bodies of the woman, as well as the respect for the culture at the heart of the film, inviting roles with musicians and actor of Hawaii.

“When the film came out, a lot of critics talked about it,” producer Clark Spender said. “Those moments are based on reality so people see themselves and they don’t look like cartoon characters.”

“Lilo & Stitch” became one of the studio’s most profitable films of the decade, earning more than $ 270 million at the global box office on a relatively modest budget of $ 80 million. The feature leads to two more sequels and live adaptations are also currently underway.

The confrontation between the film and “Frozen” has sparked a conversation on social media about “Lilo & Stitch ”’s innovative approach to telling animated stories.

Sanders, who also reveals a koala-like creature, made his mark in animated franchises after Lilo & Stitch, including directing the original How To Train Your Dragon and the Croods. Movies.