With 'Lilo & Stitch's journey to live-action, at least one character didn't return from the original 2002 Disney animated film.

“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.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp and producer Jonathan Eirich tell EW that cutting the villainous Gantu deepened the storytelling.