It looks like some changes have happened behind the scenes. In a new casting announcement that the live-action Lilo and Stitch film is seeing to bring back Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch. Just recently, we learned that Kahiau Machado has been cast in the role of David Kawena but it seems that they decided to recast the character moving forward.
In a new piece by The Hollywood Reporter, they reveal that Kaipot Dudoit has taken over the role of David due to Disney’s vetting process uncovering some racial slurs shared by Machado on his Social Media. There has not been an official statement by Disney on the matter so far.
It’s definitely been one of their fastest recasts given that the announcement of Machado joining the production was just last week. So, Kaipot may have been among one of the top choices, to begin with, and they may have reacted quite fast to get them on board as filming was slowly getting started in Hawaii.
It’s been quite a rough time for Disney, especially with the recent allegations surrounding Jonathan Majors. While David is a supporting role, he’s still the main love interest for a major character and they may be trying to be as safe as possible; even if it’s unclear what exactly they have planned with Kang the Conqueror.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
