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As production on a live-action remake of the Disney film “Lilo & Stich” gets underway, fans are sounding off on the casting of one of its stars.
Actress Sydney Agudong was cast in the role of Nani, the older sister of protagonist Lilo, in the sci-fi comedy that follows two orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unwittingly befriend an alien fugitive named Stich. Agudong was born and raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Despite Agudong’s Hawaiian descent, people have taken to social media to scrutinize the appropriateness of her casting given the actress’ light skin tone, which contrasts with the darker complexion of the original Nani from the 2002 animated film.
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Fans blast Sydney Agudong’s ‘Lilo & Stich’ casting on social media
A number of fans took to social media following Agudong’s casting as Nani in the upcoming adaptation of “Lilo & Stich,” many taking issue with casting a light-skinned actor for a dark-skinned character.
“If they’re not going to cast a thick brown skin Pacific Islander as Nani why bother even filming the live action Lilo and Stitch,” Twitter user @eureckah1 wrote. “They won’t be getting a penny from me.”
“The conflict occurring in Lilo and Stitch being about the colonialist state attempting to pull this tiny ‘broken’ native Hawaiian family apart is made more apparent by their both being darker skinned girls,” user @FaatiTheStreet tweeted. “Casting a lighter skinned Hawaiian to play Nani interferes with that.”
One Twitter user distinguished Agudong’s casting as Nani from the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”
“Nani’s character has a real human ethnicity relevant to the plot which should be represented by a dark skin native Hawaiian,” the user wrote. “Meanwhile mermaids aren’t real and can be anything.”
“Colorism really (messed up) Nani’s casting for the live action Lilo and Stitch,” user @ello_bitty tweeted. “Yes the actress is a native Hawaiian, but she is also light skinned and white passing while Nani is not and never had been. She deserves better.”
“What is so difficult about casting Hawaiian actors with deep complexions?” user @isaiahbeenlost wrote on Twitter. “When will the colorism in Hollywood finally be addressed? It’s so sickening.”
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Halle Bailey’s casting in ‘The Little Mermaid’ draws controversy
The controversy over Agudong’s casting in “Lilo & Stich” isn’t the first time Disney has come under fire for the racial diversity of its casting.
News of Bailey’s casting as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” which is set for a May 26 release, similarly divided fans, who debated the accuracy of casting Bailey – a Black woman – in the role of Ariel, who appeared as a light-skinned, redheaded mermaid in the 1989 animated film.
“Ariel has been white with red hair for 50 years, keep it the way it was,” Twitter user @McKaylaRoseRed wrote.
Despite criticism from some, Bailey’s casting as Ariel also elicited an outpouring of love from young Black girls on social media, who reveled in seeing a Black woman portray the iconic mermaid.
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Naomi Scott’s casting as Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’ received criticism
Actress Naomi Scott, who is of English and Indian descent, was tapped to portray Princess Jasmine in the 2019 live-action adaptation of “Aladdin.” The film won a People’s Choice Award for favorite family movie and earned Scott a Teen Choice Award for best sci-fi/fantasy actress.
However, despite the film’s acclaim, Scott’s casting in the film about a dark-skinned princess living in the Middle East drew criticism.
“Naomi scott is half white and half gujarati ( indian ) while aladdin is a middle eastern story,” user @vaguetapes tweeted. “The casting wasn’t accurate at all.”
Disney agreed to redraw Princess Tiana after backlash for lightening skin
The depiction of Princess Tiana, who originally appeared in the 2009 film “The Princess and the Frog,” in the 2018 film “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” drew the ire of fans who criticized the lightening of the Black character’s skin in the latter.
“I kind of thought people were overreacting at first about Tiana’s look in the last Ralph Breaks the Internet screencap, but I was so wrong,” user @disney__tasthic tweeted. “Looking at her beside the hand drawn Tiana, she looks nearly unrecognizable.”
Anika Noni Rose, the voice actress who plays Tiana, and racial advocacy group Color of Change reportedly met with Disney animators following the initial backlash. In the end, Disney agreed to redraw Tiana’s appearance in the film.
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Contributing: Sonja Haller, USA TODAY
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