Who Is Gantu in ‘Lilo & Stitch’? Explained
The character is nowhere to be found in Lilo & Stitch’s live-action remake, though he has a key role in both original movie series and TV show. Here’s everything you need to know about Gantu and his impact on Lilo and Stitch’s life.
Lilo & Stitch’s new live-action reboot might be the biggest hit in the box office right now and Disney’s new darling, but it’s definitely missing the original movie’s biggest villain that doesn’t even get a single mention in the remake.
This year’s Lilo & Stitch retells pretty much the same story, following a koala-looking alien initially called Experiment 626 as he travels from the Galactic Federation to Earth, trying to hide from his creator and the movie’s biggest bad guy Jumba.
The original animated film, however, saw 626-turned-Stitch handling two dangers at the same time, mostly seeking ways to stay away from Gantu — who, in fact, is a much bigger villain than Jumba.
Who Is Gantu in ‘Lilo & Stitch’?
In the 2002 animated film, Gantu is introduced as a gigantic whale-like/shark-like, grey-skinned alien and also a corrupt captain of the Galactic Federation who induces fear into everyone around because of his physical appearance and harsh personality.
Originally, it’s Gantu who embarks on a mission to catch Stitch after his missile lands somewhere on Earth and later confronts Lilo who makes an attempt to save Stitch from Gantu.
The latter is also one of the main antagonists in the Lilo & Stitch TV series where the characters are seen dealing with lots of evil experiments, with Gantu sometimes being involved in tricky schemes against both Lilo and Stitch.
Why Isn’t Gantu in ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Remake?
Even though the character was a certain major villain in the original animated movie, Gantu isn’t there to catch Stitch and bring him back to the Galactic Federation in the reboot, which also became one of the reasons why many fans slammed the new movie.
However, Lilo & Stitch’s director Dean Fleischer Camp addressed the matter right after the controversy swirled, explaining that the story’s new version needed some more space for exploring the leading characters’ relationships.
“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”, Fleischer Camp revealed in an interview with Cinema Blend ahead of Lilo & Stitch’s theatrical premiere back in May.
Lilo & Stitch is currently playing in theatres across the world.
