How the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Changed Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’

16 years ago today, on 9/11/2001, the world shook and was changed in a way that shifted every component of American society, and film is no exception.

In a video produced by Vox, a particularly poignant example of just how much the terrorist attacks that devastated New York City impacted this medium of culture and art is highlighted. In September of 2001, Disney almost had a completed final cut of their 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch

In the original cut, the movie contained a scene in which the main characters were piloting a commercial airliner through the heart of a fictional city in Hawaii. The plane causes a panic amongst the public and causes damage to the city’s buildings.

The scene’s general look and feel contained unintentional parallels to the horrific events that had so recently changed the mood of the nation, so Disney made some last-minute adjustments. The city skyline was replaced by mountains, and the 747 was replaced by an alien craft.

The video comes from an insightful article tracking all sorts of changes in media and popular culture relative to 9/11 by Lindsay Ellis, also published by Vox. You can check out the video for yourself below:

Original story at polarcapstudios.com