Dean Fleischer Camp earned a Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2023 for his quirky, empathetic Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the story of a shell with shoes looking for friendship and family. Now the director is stepping into the gigantic Disney sandbox as he helms the live action adaptation of the 2002 animations Lilo & Stitch. Tymon Smith spoke to Camp about his big new adventure and what he hopes a new generation of fans will take away from this version.
Lilo & Stitch was a unique movie in its time. It has some zany elements. What about the original attracted you to the live action project?
It’s unique in the Disney canon. When it came out, I hadn’t seen a Disney film like it before. They were working in their house style and suddenly made a movie based on Chris Sanders’ artistic style, which inspired me because it made me realise that you could express a specific taste and aesthetic in a film. It's style made it an unique opportunity for live action adaptation. It feels authentic and textured. The characters have a down-to-earth appeal to them.
What’s your approach to live action remakes of animated favourites?
There’s a sense of a Hippocratic oath from us. Rule number one is do no harm. I had to do thoughtful work figuring out the live action embodiment of character, scenes, essence and how to represent the story, in a way that's as fun, colourful and dynamic as the original. The opportunity was to deepen the emotional experience of the human characters and make the drama moving in a way that's successful in the animated film. The mistake that filmmakers make creating these adaptations is to think they can take the elements that worked in animation and translate them to live action, but they’re different art forms with different expectations.
Was it daunting to move into this bigger Disney sandbox?
It’s a huge step up in terms of size, scale and audience expectation. It seemed intimidating but once I was in the saddle doing the job of directing the movie, I was relieved to find that it’s the same job whether you’re making a short film with friends or a big movie — except your team is several hundred people. Marcel the Shell took me seven-and-a-half years to make because it was me and a small group of creators. When you’re working with Disney you’re working with the best in the business, and they can turn something around by the end of the week.
Did you have an audience in mind?
I don't think of movies for children or movies for adults. As a filmmaker myself, I don’t view those boundaries when I’m deciding to see a movie. I’m a fan of movies that some may consider children's films — they can be nuanced, intelligent depictions of grief and struggle, real topics. I’m the kind of filmmaker who’s always straddled that line.
- Lilo & Stitch is on circuit
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