Q: Congratulations on the upcoming LILO & STITCH live-action adaptation, with several other terrific Harvard folks involved! The story is such a deeply emotional story about found family. How did the team approach that emotional core in the live-action version?

Thank you! We first took the idea to Disney in spring of 2018, nearly 7 years ago. At that time, Disney had released a couple of live-action remakes of their animated classics, and they were focused on older titles and films from the Disney Renaissance of the 90s. I had grown up  with some of their newer films and LILO & STITCH was one of my favorites because it was so different from their usual fairytales – it takes place in the real world, it’s messy, it’s hilarious… and with no less heart than any other Disney staple. 

I had lunch with a newer Disney exec who was also a fan of the original and said he would hear a take. I reached out to a writer who Jonathan Eirich (AB '03) and I had worked with previously and who I knew was a big fan, and we developed a pitch. It sounds crazy now, but there was a lot of skepticism at the studio that this would be a worthy candidate for adaptation. Luckily it wasn’t an expensive pitch and they felt our passion so they gave us a shot to develop a script. The road from a little streaming play for Disney+ to a tentpole theatrical release has been thrilling.

In approaching the adaptation, the goal of course is to lovingly preserve the soul of the original while finding opportunities to expand the story and discovering something new to say that resonates with a new generation. The animated movie over-delivers on character and emotion, but we found there were a number of ways to flesh out the plot and update it for a modern, live-action context. We went through several iterations of the script and engaged with a couple of filmmakers before we found Dean Fleischer Camp (MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON). His approach was less about taking 'Ohana at face value, which can sound like a platitude, and instead focusing on what Stitch says about his family at the end of the movie: “It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good.” This idea that just because someone or something isn’t perfect or doesn’t follow the rules doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of love. That insight from Dean became a north star for us and informed a lot of the decisions we made for this version of the story.

Q: The original film blends Hawaiian culture, sci-fi, and heartfelt family drama. What’s been the biggest challenge in honoring all those tones at once?

One of the great opportunities a live-action LILO & STITCH affords, or really demands, is to bring an authenticity to the showcase of Hawaiian culture and music and history. One of our writers, Chris Kekaniokalani Bright (who sang in the children’s choir in the original movie!), is Hawaiian and brought both big new characters and smaller specific details to the script that really augment the Hawaiian-ness of the movie. We also hired multiple cultural consultants to be with us in development and on set, updated the music with AAPI talent, and made the movie with hundreds of local people on O’ahu.

Then, yes, it’s also a sci-fi movie! We took a more grounded approach to certain elements – any alien visiting Earth dons a human disguise – and then went all out for everything in outer space. We debated at times keeping it all on Earth and never going to space, but ultimately we and Dean felt there is so much fun in how the sprawling alien world Stitch comes from contrasts with an island community where a real family is struggling to make ends meet. And including both makes Stitch’s journey from one to the other in search of a place to belong all the more incredible.

Q: Congratulations as well on the live-action series adaptation of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER for Netflix! The show has one of the most passionate fan bases out there. How did the team balance staying faithful to the original series while making it work in a live-action format and adding something new in this version? And what do you think the fans will really appreciate about this version?

Thank you! As part of that OG passionate fanbase, it’s so fun to work towards the right balance between recreating iconic moments and finding new moments that feel true to the spirit of the animated series and deepen the existing storylines. And, because we have to conform to the shorter Netflix drama format, there is less real estate than the original show had to tell a compelling narrative. One of the big challenges for the writers is to pick the parts of the series that they connect to most, and try and service those as thoroughly as possible. Better to maximize the impact of a few great story threads than try to partially-service everything. Depth over breadth.

One pursuit we’ve stayed committed to across all 3 seasons is to have as much diversity in front of and behind the camera as possible – to date, all of our actors and all of our episodic directors are of Asian heritage, and we have an extremely diverse writers' room as well. As a result, this version of the narrative is told and performed from multiple diverse points of view, which hopefully adds a layer of authenticity and reality to an otherwise fantastical show. And in that way, we don’t get too caught up in trying to compare our show to the inimitable original series; we hope our show can stand on its own.

Q: For kids and young adults discovering AVATAR for the first time through this version—what do you hope resonates most with them about Aang’s journey and the world around him?

Like any epic fantasy, Avatar involves a battle between good vs evil. A large part of Aang’s struggle is in discovering how to conquer the villain while staying true to his non-violent nature. Ultimately, when faced with the choice to kill or be killed, he finds a third option, one that could only come from him. It’s such a beautiful idea and an amazing payoff to where he began. In our adaptation, we are attempting to deepen that part of his journey towards non-violence, and earn it even more than the animated series did. It’s the kind of creative, empathetic problem-solving that feels even more relevant today than it did 20 years ago and deserves a spotlight.

Q: From the LEGO MOVIE franchise to DEATH NOTE, what do you think are the biggest creative and logistical challenges when adapting a legendary IP into live action? How do you decide what to stay faithful to and what to reimagine or leave out?

At Rideback we are always trying to emulate the process that led to the first LEGO movie. We start with a deep understanding of what makes that IP great (often involving a strong relationship with the creators and/or rightsholders), and then we search for a filmmaker with a compelling personal story to tell. In the case of THE LEGO MOVIE, a world that operates on creativity was the perfect platform for Lord & Miller to tell their story of overcoming their feelings of seeming ordinary and invisible. So the challenge is often finding the right storytellers to pair with a property, and then acting as a creative liaison between them, the rightsholders, and the studio financing the project. Every project is different, but the best ones involve a really engaging emotional story and a shared love for what made that IP special in the first place. And the patience to wait for the right combination.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the production process, and what’s the part you’re secretly glad someone else handles?

I’m grateful to be able to participate in a project from beginning to end. Development is more fun when you have to think about how something will physically be put together, and production is more fun when you’re able to solve problems and justify choices by knowing all the thought that went into a project beforehand. Really it all goes back to the college theater days where everybody had to do multiple jobs to make even the smallest little performance happen. I think I’m still chasing the high of being in a group of kids spending too much time pulling off a miracle for one weekend. The stakes are higher now, and we have a greater responsibility, but it activates the same part of me. I’d be frustrated if I only got to see one part of the process. And I am secretly glad I am not a travel coordinator.

Q: If you could adapt any story next, with no budget or rights limitations, what would it be and why?

I’m actually in soft prep on an original movie for the first time! It’s a coming-of-age story set in the world of collegiate Bollywood dance competitions. It uses comedy and dance to test the strength of a friendship… two of my favorite things. There’s also a unique cultural component that gives the movie an added layer of specificity and freshness, and like LILO and AVATAR it will hopefully increase empathy for people from a minority group. Like any original feature venture it is an uphill battle trying to get it made, but it was written and is being directed and choreographed by an incredible team and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

As for  an IP I’d love to adapt next, we once had a live action LEGO Zombie movie project in development that was amazing but is now dead. Though I prefer to think of it as undead. Its time will come..

Q: What’s a piece of advice a mentor gave you early on that really stayed with you? And what advice would you yourself pass on for people to remember?

I loved slowly learning that you have to surround yourself with people who will tell you when your shit stinks. And conversely, sometimes the greatest act of kindness is telling someone a hard truth. My former boss Dan Lin (MBA '99, Rideback founder, current Netflix Film Chairman) is incredible at this. He is extremely direct, and does not hold back when calling you out for a mistake. It’s hard in the moment but if you take it in stride you won’t make that mistake again. I also see him actively ask people to  call him out on what he could be doing better. One of the unfortunate parts of this industry is how often we are afraid to give someone difficult feedback and that person floats along none the wiser as a result of conflict avoidance. Being hungry for that feedback, and willing to reciprocate, will make you better faster and make you a better friend.