The live-action Lilo & Sтιтch remake quietly delivers a heartfelt new backstory for the Pelekai sisters’ late parents. While the 2025 Disney remake brings back the heart and humor of the 2002 animated classic, it also includes new emotional details, especially regarding Lilo and Nani’s family history. The film, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, includes many subtle set design choices that hint at the lives of their parents, who pᴀssed away in a car accident before the story began. These Easter eggs about their careers offer a new perspective on the original film’s already emotional foundation.
In a recent interview with Variety, production designer Todd Cherniawsky broke down some of the Easter eggs that audiences might have missed. In terms of emphasizing Ohana, he revealed that Fleischer Camp had created a backstory about their parents as scientists, which led to the decision that one was a marine biologist and another a botanist. This would help set the foundation for Nani’s arc and influence the set design, in which the house is filled with books and diving gear. Read his full comments below:
He [Fleischer Camp] came up with a great backstory that the parents were scientists who worked for the state. So we made the decision that one of them was most likely a marine biologist, and then the other one was possibly a botanist.
There was the idea that Nani can’t bring herself to tidy that stuff or give it away. So the clutter in the house is essentially exactly like the day that the parents pᴀssed away.
What This Means For 2025’s Lilo & Sтιтch
The Remake Pays Tribute To The Original While Expanding Its Emotional Depth
By incorporating quiet nods to Lilo and Nani’s life with their parents before their pᴀssing, the remake manages to deepen its emotional impact without dominating the core story. The addition of environmental science and biology into the story subtly enriches the characters’ worlds and helps set up Nani’s storyline in the new Lilo & Sтιтch by reflecting both their roots and their loss. It not only aligns with the Hawaiian setting but also mirrors Lilo’s fascination with nature and Nani’s sense of responsibility and the importance of her dream of studying marine biology.
The Easter eggs also allow the film to explore grief and memory in a more visual way than bluntly stating the fact. While focusing on the surroundings, the state of their house speaks volumes about their past and how the sisters have handled the loss of their parents. For viewers who look closely, Lilo & Sтιтch offers new context and subtle Easter eggs that add richness to Nani’s stress and Lilo’s eccentricity, creating a fuller picture of a family stuck by their grief.
Our Take On Lilo & Sтιтch’s Easter Eggs
Small Design Choices Like These Are What Make Disney Remakes Truly Shine
Image via Disney
The Lilo & Sтιтch remake has faced its share of scrutiny, but details like these show how much care went into reimagining the beloved animated film. While big changes and action scenes are getting the spotlight, the quiet Easter eggs and thoughtful design work give the film its emotional power. Hinting at the parents’ scientific background is not just world-building; it offers character insight and a deeper look into why Lilo and Nani are who they are. This particularly provides more insight into why Nani was interested in marine biology in the first place, which could actually shed new light on her decision to go off to college.
Source: Variety
