Lilo & Stitch director explains why Gantu was removed from live-action film

24 May 2025, 17:36

Why isn't Gantu in live-action Lilo & Stitch? Picture: Walt Disney Pictures

By Katie Louise Smith

Is Gantu in live-action Lilo & Stitch? Here's why the iconic character was completely removed from the remake.

Loading audio...

Now that the live-action Lilo & Stitch is finally here, fans of the original are asking two major questions: 1) How accurate is the new film compared to the animated Disney original? And 2) where the hell is Gantu?!

For the most part, Lilo & Stitch is a somewhat accurate adaptation of the original. There's countless moments from the OG movie that are brought to life (almost identically) in live-action version.

However, there are also some major changes and omissions that fans aren't too happy about like Pleakley's drag being "erased" (director Dean Fleischer Camp previously revealed that he "tried" to include it but to no avail) and the fact that Captain Gantu is not in the film... at all.

In a new interview, the director has now explained why he had to make the decision to not include the iconic antagonist.

Read more: Live-action Lilo & Stitch trailer divides fans over Pleakley side-by-side comparison

Why is Gantu not in live-action Lilo & Stitch?

In an interview with CinemaBlend, Camp revealed that Gantu was initially going to be in the live-action remake, but they ended up removing him because he wasn't quite vibing with the live-action setting.

"Gantu was one of those things that just didn't work so well in live action," he said. "We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision."

Amid the backlash, he added: "And also I do stand by the decision 'cause I feel like a lot of the things that in trying to ground these characters more and tell a story with a little more emotional depth, especially between the sisters, I feel like you have to free up real estate to allow that breathing room to do those things."

I'm sorry they won't let you shine King. https://t.co/03tz5jyUlp pic.twitter.com/NWGE8DL53r
— Nipah 🐣 (@NipahDUBS) May 18, 2025

Reacting to the bombshell that Gantu isn't in the film, fans took to social media to complain about the omission.

One fan wrote: "By far the worst decision."

"What's the point then?" another fan added seemingly referring to the fact that Gantu is pivotal to the OG film's ending, while a third joked: "I'm sorry they won't let you shine King."

So if there's no Gantu, then who is the big bad in the new version? Well, not to spoil too much but Jumba Jookiba (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) takes on a slightly bigger role and essentially fills in amid Gantu's absence.