The casting of the upcoming “Lilo & Stitch” live-action film has sparked a debate on colorism in the entertainment industry.
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00:00Disney has been announcing the cast for their live-action Lilo and Stitch remake
00:03But we need to talk about how it has sparked a debate over whitewashing and colorism in Hollywood
00:08Recently the Hollywood Reporter reported that Lilo's older sister Nani would be played by 22 year old actress
00:14Sydney Agudong who was born and raised in Hawaii and has British Irish Hawaiian and Filipino ancestry
00:19However, some Twitter users accused Disney of pandering to Eurocentric beauty standards by not casting a dark-skinned Pacific Islander for the role
00:26Disney also cast Kahia Machado as Nani's love interest David which also drew mixed reactions
00:31Many native Hawaiian fans said they were hoping for actors who weren't white passing and whose features reflected those of the island's indigenous population
00:38This isn't the first time Disney has been called out for whitewashing characters
00:42The casting of Princess Jasmine in the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin was criticized as well as the depiction of Princess Tiana in Ralph
00:48Breaks the Internet which Disney ended up reanimating after receiving backlash. The live-action Lilo and Stitch is set to release in 2024
00:56You