'Lilo & Stitch' talks about love, belonging on International Family Day

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) As International Family Day is set to be celebrated on May 15, “Lilo & Stitch’ executive producer Ryan Halprin said that the film is about a "real family with human beings" and one heightened, fantasy sci-fi element that causes "mayhem".

This International Family Day, Lilo & Stitch features a chaotic blue alien and spirited young girl that seeks to teach us all about love, family and belonging.

“‘Lilo & Stitch’ follows a different paradigm from many Disney movies. It acknowledges classic Disney tropes but does something different. It is about a real family with human beings and one heightened, fantasy sci-fi element that causes mayhem,” Halprin.

Halprin added: “The story’s core is simple—two sisters dealing with the loss of their parents and the arrival of a misunderstood alien.”

The International Day of Families was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

Walt Disney Studios' Lilo & Stitch is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. The live-action reimagining of Disney’s animated classic stars Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Kaipo Dudoit, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill, Jason Scott Lee and Hannah Waddingham.

The screenplay is by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, with Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin producing, and executive production by Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, and Thomas Schumacher.

Walt Disney Studios' Lilo & Stitch arrives in Indian theatres on May 23 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

"Lilo & Stitch" is a much-loved Disney franchise that began with a 2002 animated film and has expanded to include direct-to-video sequels, television series, and more.

The heart of the story is about a young girl named Lilo Pelekai and an alien experiment called Stitch as they build an unexpected and unconventional family on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

--IANS

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