Everything We Know So Far

As we all know by now, Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind. That’s the iconic phrase that we all know and love from The Walt Disney Company’s 2002 masterpiece, Lilo & Stitch. On the surface, the animated classic looks like a charming story about a young girl and her extra-terrestrial companion as they explore the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Fans of the film will know that Lilo & Stitch is so much more than just a fun family film. It’s a beautiful, poignant, and emotional tale of sisterhood and family.

After making over $2.5 hundred million USD at the worldwide box office, Lilo & Stitch became an instant fan favorite, with the rambunctious blue alien, in particular, becoming one of Disney’s most recognizable mascots. Many probably remember that the film also inspired a franchise, generating a grand total of three straight-to-video sequels, a Disney Channel television series, and even a Japanese anime series. Alas, after said anime series Stitch! (2008-2015) concluded, that was the last we saw of Lilo and Stitch apart from the odd merchandise and theme park appearance.

That’s all set to change a near decade later with Lilo & Stitch, the latest live-action remake of one of Disney’s beloved IPs. With the director of the Academy Award-nominated Marcel the Shell with Shoes On on board, this modern take on the iconic story will almost certainly have audiences everywhere falling in love with the young girl and her pet alien all over again. With production really starting to ramp up and the casting process well underway, Disney fans everywhere are likely eager to find out how Lilo & Stitch will translate to live-action. To learn more about the upcoming remake’s cast, crew, and more, here is everything we know so far about the Lilo & Stitch live-action remake.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on October 11, 2024.

5 Does the Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Have a Release Date?

After months upon months of waiting, we finally have a confirmed release date for the Lilo & Stitch remake, and it’s coming out at a very appropriate time. The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake will ride the wave into theaters when the film debuts on Friday, May 23, 2025. The release date and theatrical announcement was officially made by Disney with the following video:

The Lilo & Stitch remake will almost certainly premiere directly on Disney+ at a later date. Disney’s remakes have found success on both theatrical and streaming platforms, with theatrical releases like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and The Lion King (2019) bringing in massive box office numbers and Disney+ releases like Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Pinocchio (2022) garnering pretty high viewership. It’s a trend that continued into recent years, with Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) being a Disney+ exclusive and The Little Mermaid (2023) getting a very anticipated theatrical release.

4 Does The Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Have a Trailer Yet?

We don’t have a proper trailer for the Lilo & Stitch remake just yet, but we did get a quick sneak peek of what its titular blue alien will look like. At the 2024 D23 Expo, Disney debuted the first look at the CGI Stitch that will be appearing in the new live-action film, once again voiced by Chris Sanders (who also directed the original film and the recently released and critically acclaimed The Wild Robot). The D23 first look was released publicly online, and you can take a look for yourself above.

It would be pretty funny if Disney decided to harken back to the marketing campaign for the original film. Before the main trailers were released, audiences were introduced to Stitch (Chris Sanders) via short clips from other Disney classics like Aladdin (1992) and The Lion King (1994). The scenes start out normally before they’re invaded by the blue troublemaker, with Stitch wreaking havoc on the tamer world of the animated Disney pantheon. If we were to see the new and improved CGI Stitch get digitally inserted in the live-action versions of Aladdin and The Lion King, that would be a pretty ingenious callback.

3 Who Stars in the Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’?

Maia Kealoha will headline the film as the titular Lilo. Sydney Elizebeth Agudong will join the young actress as Lilo’s older sister, Nani. Filling out the cast are Kaipo Duidot as David Kawena, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, Billy Magnussen as Pleakley, Zach Galifianakis as Jumba, and Amy Hill will star as a new character named Tūtū. Chris Sanders, who both wrote the original film and voiced the character of Stitch, is set to return as the voice of Experiment 626. He’s not the only member of the original cast returning, Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani, will play an original character named Mrs. Kekoa.

Jason Scott Lee who voiced David in the original animated film, will be making an appearance in the film in a cameo-level role.

2 What Is the Plot of ‘Lilo & Stitch’?

While we don’t have any official plot details on this new iteration of Lilo & Stitch, we’re assuming that it will more or less follow the same storyline as the original film. For those unaware of the original and set to experience Lilo and Stitch’s story for the very first time, here’s a brief spoiler-free summary.

In the original 2002 film, the story begins light years away from Earth, where an eccentric mad scientist, Dr. Jumba (David Ogden Stiers), is on trial. Jumba has been accused by the Galactic Federation of breaking one of their most sacred laws – creating an intelligent life form with the intent to destroy everything in its path. Despite claiming he’s not guilty, the court quickly brings in the life form in question, a repulsive, poor-tempered, and decidedly rude organism known only as Experiment 626. It doesn’t take long for the Grand Councilwoman (Zoe Caldwell) to sentence Experiment 626 to permanent exile, but this proves easier said than done. Experiment 626 is able to escape his confines and hijack a spacecraft, eventually crash-landing on the remote Hawaiian Island of Kauai. It’s here where we meet our second titular protagonist, Lilo Pelekai (Daviegh Chase) – an imaginative but troubled little girl who has difficulties making friends. Lilo is currently being cared for by her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), and they’re both struggling to keep their relationship and lives intact following the unexpected passing of their parents.

Shortly after Experiment 626 crashes onto the island, he’s quickly run over by a truck and sent to a nearby animal shelter. Nani, thinking it would be helpful for Lilo to have a pet she can care for and relate with, decides to take her to the shelter to get a canine companion. That’s how the family meets 626, and though Nani has her apprehensions about the strange-looking animal, Lilo immediately feels a bond with the creature she has now affectionately named Stitch. Now, with a social worker threatening to take Lilo away and two other aliens recruited to capture Stitch, Lilo, Stitch, and Nani try their best to keep their family together for as long as possible.

1 Who’s Making ‘Lilo & Stitch’?

Leading the charge from the director’s chair is Dean Fleischer Camp, who made a big splash in the world of live-action/CGI-animation hybrid with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, making him an excellent choice for the position. Writing the screenplay for the project are co-writers Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. Also attached to the crew are production designer Todd Cherniawsky (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and costume designer Mary Claire Hannan (The Fault in Our Stars). Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu was previously reported to be attached to the film, but he left the production to focus on other projects.