The Stories Behind the Original Lilo & Stitch’s Disney-Spoofing Ads

by

If you recall any promotional materials for the 2002 release of Lilo & Stitch, you’re likely remembering them vividly. At that time, Walt Disney Pictures was highly respected and cherished for its careful preservation of its classic films. However, the trailers for Lilo & Stitch playfully defied tradition, with the unconventional character Stitch causing havoc in scenes from popular Disney movies: toppling a chandelier during the dance scene in Beauty and the Beast, annoying Belle; surfing into The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel’s domain and knocking her off her rock; approaching Aladdin and Jasmine on their flying carpet in a spaceship, honking his horn, and whisking Jasmine away; replacing baby Simba in the opening scene of The Lion King‘s “Circle of Life”. These promotional materials – presented as teaser trailers, TV spots, and a theatrical trailer that initially appeared to be a solemn tribute to Disney’s storied history – served as an enjoyable introduction to a character who would eventually become one of the studio’s most beloved creations.

The unprecedented humor in these Disney ads was an original move for the corporation, and it was the filmmakers themselves who conceived the concept. During my interview with Chris Sanders for my oral history of Lilo & Stitch, he explained how this unconventional marketing approach came to be. “We had already seen some early concepts for promoting the movie,” he reminisced. “And we were all brainstorming when I jokingly commented, ‘It’s strange to think that from now on, whenever Disney showcases their characters, Lilo and Stitch will be included. It feels like they’re invading the Disney universe.’ This led to a thought: ‘What if we made an ad where we started playing The Lion King, but instead of Baby Simba being shown, it was Stitch?'” Sanders and his co-director Dean DeBlois then shared this amusing idea with Thomas Schumacher, president of Walt Disney Feature Animation (who was also a major supporter of the film). They were instructed to present their proposal to the marketing team.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=XULSDz1kPdc

In this scenario, Sanders, being a director, is not usually included in marketing meetings, which are typically handled by professionals from the marketing team. However, Dick Cook, who was appointed as Disney chairman in early 2002, was presiding over this meeting. Prior to the meeting, Sanders encountered one marketing executive and picked up on a sense of reluctance or indifference towards their presence. Nevertheless, the pitch at the meeting elicited a hearty laugh, which led Roy E. Disney, who was the chairman of the animation department, a longtime company board member, and Walt’s nephew, to suggest that Stitch could appear in other films for promotional purposes.

Sanders pointed out that the idea held a broad appeal, considering Disney’s predicament at the moment, with many of their major films underperforming at the box office while studios like Pixar and Dreamworks were enjoying success. “Perhaps you thought Disney movies were a bit too sugary or no longer appealed to you as you grew older,” Sanders suggested. “But then this character appears, adding an unexpected twist to familiar scenes. This could pique your curiosity. On the flip side, if you’re still enamored with Disney and the TV is playing ‘Beauty and the Beast’ or ‘The Lion King’, hearing the music might draw you in. And when you see this small character disrupting the scenes, you too might find yourself intrigued.

To guide and document these advertisements, the filmmakers needed to retrieve the initial sources for these specific scenes from Disney’s archives as reference points. Sanders remarked, “They delivered The Lion King. Naturally, that movie is revered. They were quite displeased about entrusting this material to us.” Sanders then joked, “Well, I was part of the Lion King team. I can vouch for its safety. If there’s a coffee stain on these items, it could very well be my coffee stain!

For the recording, they invited some of the original actors from the movies, who appeared somewhat perplexed by our plan. “They were all very professional and amiable,” he explains, “but I don’t believe any of the actors were particularly thrilled with what we were doing, as these characters hold significant importance for them. When discussing Aladdin, I recall the voice actor showing up, and we presented our idea to him. After a moment of thought, he questioned, ‘She leaves with him?!’ Our response was, ‘Yes, but it’s not real; it’s just an advertisement.’ He didn’t seem overly enthusiastic.

Among all moments, the most amusing for me was when we remotely recorded Paige O’Hara’s voice, particularly for the scene in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Since she was in New York, we had to record her over the phone. It felt a bit peculiar because she sounded exactly like Belle.”

In the commercial, Stitch spoils the dance between Belle and the Beast by smashing a chandelier into the ballroom, causing Belle to leave in anger, saying, “I’ll be in my room!” Sanders reminisced, “We proposed this idea, but there was an awkward silence. She then asked, ‘So I’m angry at him?’ To which we replied, ‘Well, no, you’re just disappointed.’ She proceeded with the recording and said, ‘I’ll be in my room.’ We thought she might be more than disappointed. However, she continued to deliver her lines with a cheerful tone. We kept insisting, ‘No, you’re just more disappointed.’ Eventually, we suggested, ‘Perhaps try being a little angry.’ And then she responded.

As a devoted fan, I must say that the advertisements for “Lilo & Stitch” truly redefined Disney’s promotional approach, infusing it with a touch of the offbeat charm that Pixar and Dreamworks had successfully exploited in the past. However, Sanders pointed out that these ads also played a crucial role in maintaining the film’s enigma. As a filmmaker, I found myself in a unique predicament: while marketing aimed to highlight the most captivating scenes from the movie to draw audiences, I yearned to keep these moments hidden so that when viewers sat down to watch the film, they would be filled with laughter and delight, not knowing what was coming next. I didn’t want them to walk into the theater thinking, “I’ve already seen everything in the trailer. There was nothing new or intriguing.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=KurP5wvFq70

In a fresh approach for the latest release of “Lilo & Stitch”, Disney experimented with marketing strategies reminiscent of their take on “The Lion King” (2019). Posters and trailers subtly echoed the opening scene of the live-action version of The Lion King, and one trailer depicted Stitch wreaking havoc on a sandcastle replica of Disney’s famous castle. Additionally, they designed posters that alluded to other remakes such as “Snow White”, “Aladdin”, and “Cinderella”. However, the marketing campaign didn’t delve much further into this style. Possible reasons could be the complexity involved in bringing back live-action actors after many years, compared to voice actors. It might also be due to the fact that the recent versions of “Aladdin” (2019) and “Beauty and the Beast” (2017), despite their box office success, have not had the same lasting impact as their animated counterparts. Another possibility is Disney’s increased reverence for its catalog, evident in the faithful recreation of “Lilo & Stitch”.

Regardless of current circumstances, there’s no denying that at one point, Lilo & Stitch stood out as an extraordinary and peculiar gem within the collection. Even after all these years, Sanders remains astonished by it. “It seemed so unusual to me,” he expressed, “because we created those characters. Beauty and the Beast are well-known literary figures. Lilo and Stitch didn’t exist before us. It still amazes me.” Whenever he visited Disneyland, he found himself captivated by a particular sign – the Lilo parking area. He would gaze at it in disbelief, thinking, “I can’t believe I’m a parking area.” For some reason, that was what truly struck him. “I created something that’s a parking area,” he mused. “That doesn’t happen often.

Read More

2025-05-23 15:54