Redesigning a classic: Art Director Angran Li talks about bringing life to Lilo & Stitch.

Angran Li on the set of Lilo & Stitch

What started as a drafted script seven years ago, evolved into an extensive search for a Hawaiian native girl, and ultimately turned out to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year—Lilo & Stitch’s journey has been anything but restful. For Art Director Angran Li, who grew up in Beijing with a love of movies, reimagining a film that she felt so connected to felt surreal. When I sat down with Li to talk about her path into art and production design, the challenges of translating animation into live-action, she made sure one thing stood out: “It was a group effort.” 

How did your interest in designing for film and art direction first spark? 

As I was growing up in Beijing, I’ve always been into going to the movie theaters with my mom, almost whenever we could. She’s a fan of all kinds of movies, and my generation kind of grew up on Harry Potter, Avatar, Titanic, all those very Special Effects-famous franchises that were always playing in theaters in my hometown. And then, I learned there’s a group of people behind the camera who make all of those movies possible. 

When I went to study interior design and architecture, it was always movies that I was interested in. So after I finished college in New York, I went to study production design at AFI. 

What was it like when you were invited to artistically direct Lilo & Stitch? Were you a fan before?

I definitely grew up watching the animated version, and it means a lot to me—not just personally but also professionally. When I got a message from my production designer Todd Cherniawsky saying “Hey do you know Lilo & Stitch?,” my heart was vibrating. I was like “What? That one?” You don’t always get a chance in your life to work on a movie that you actually know the story inside out. So it was very exciting and also very stressful.

Li working on the set of Lilo & Stitch

Was the visual translation of the animation to live action challenging? 

That job mostly belongs to our Production Designer Todd [Cherniawsky]. While I can’t speak for him, I know he put so much effort into it. He would make a joke that if anyone looked at his Disney+ account they would think he’s obsessed with Lilo & Stitch. But it really helped all of us feel more confident, because he knew the visual world better than anyone.  

The visual team: our director Dean, Todd, the DP, everyone loved the original story so much. Dean actually said something like, “We don’t want this movie to look like a postcard—we want it to look real”. Like if Lilo just came from surfing and her hair is still drying out, that’s what we want to see. And when we shot on location, we kept as much of the island’s natural look as possible. If something looks a little messy, great, leave it. 

We had set designers, concept artists, amazing graphic designers, and incredible local painters and construction teams who I can’t not give credit to. The location department was amazing—they knew the island inside and out and helped us find places that hadn’t been over-filmed. This movie couldn’t be made without fantastic teamwork.

Assistant Art Diretcor Smith Sira, Art Department Assistant Meagan Colon & Art Department Coordinator Garret Gagne

How much of your personal experience did you bring into the visual storytelling of the film?

That’s tricky, but I’ll say this—when you’re working with a team that loves the story and wants to honor the original, you focus on what they want to keep and why. You’re telling a new story that still carries the bones and structure of the animation.  

There were definitely moments where I thought, “Are you sure you want to change that?” But I learned to trust the process.

Not everything works when you are trying to translate something so cartoonish. There were also limitations: time, budget, crew, but I always tried to push for more detail. You know, sometimes I will get into arguments. They'll say, oh, we don't have that much money to do this much stuff. I didn’t like giving up. 

For example, I was in charge of the luau set, and when our director Dean asked for something last-minute, I just started texting: “Can you send this?” And everyone on the island wanted to help. They truly love Lilo & Stitch.

Construction Foreman Chris Wood & Construction Labor Kaipo Gomes

Were there any specific elements you were responsible for, where you thought, this detail really matters?

I think every set had those moments, not just mine. Anne and Julien had them too. Sometimes it was signage, graffiti, little graphics or stickers, coffee shop signs, or even a wall that we weren’t sure would be in the shot. We’d still paint or dress the whole thing, just in case.

Even for just two pages of a script, everyone gave their all. Nobody stopped working once their shift was over, it was always like, what else can we do?

Stitch is such a CGI-heavy character, what was it like designing for a movie with

so much VFX? Was it different from a traditional set?

Yes, Stitch is definitely a VFX-heavy character, but we had several physical versions of him on set. What we called the VFX Stitch Maquette, the Stunt Stitch, and even a version operated by a puppeteer. The one I mentioned earlier, the fur color we carefully selected, was specifically for the VFX Stitch Maquette.

Todd and I worked together to match the color of the fur to the digital version so that lighting on set would match later in post-production. Even though Stitch is animated in post, our department was still very involved. A good VFX workflow requires strong collaboration between art and post, so things can match in color, lighting, or motion.

Is there any advice you would like to give to emerging artists or young designers

stepping into the industry?

I really love movies. I don’t know how many people actually get to work in the field they dream about, but I’ve been very lucky. But I also wasn’t supported for a very long time. If you love something, and you’re passionate about it, you’ll find your way. The only thing you need to figure out is how not to listen to people constantly telling you to give up. Especially when people around you suggest other paths or when things get hard. But you are the only one responsible for your dream. If you don’t achieve it, it’s probably on you. So don’t give up. And when you stay committed, you’ll find others just as nerdy and passionate as you are.

Art Director Angran Li

As the film brings a new generation into the world of Lilo & Stitch, one thing is

clear: from the sets to the story, this is a movie built on love. And for Li and the team,

that passion is what made every small detail worth fighting for. Because just like the film

says—Ohana means nobody gets left behind.