Although some people still see no purpose or reason for Disney to remake some of their animated classics, their latest release proved that when they work, they really work. After the huge disappointment of Snow White flopping earlier in the year, the summer became a very different story thanks to the arrival of Lilo & Stitch. In a year crammed with superhero movies, the earlier release of the remake of the 2002 animated movie scored Disney’s biggest live-action win since The Lion King in 2019. Now, the little blue critter and his adorable “owner” are dominating Disney+ after the movie made its streaming debut.
Lilo & Stitch managed to avoid the pitfalls of many live-action remakes thanks to its capable cast, a pleasing transition of its characters to live-action/CGI, and the fact it did not attempt to completely change the story. While some will say this is what makes live-action remakes pointless, there are plenty of Stitch fans out there – and I mean millions of them – who were incredibly happy to see the alien experiment rendered into the real world, and telling the story that they know and love in a different way.
The film initially scored well with critics but ended with a moderately positive 72% Tomatometer rating. However, the 92% audience score makes it clear why the film has been the huge success that movies like Snow White couldn’t be – it was made for the fans and met most expectations or surpassed them.
‘Lilo & Stitch 2’ is Now in Development
The huge success of any movie immediately sparks questions about when the sequel will be greenlit, and in the case of Lilo & Stitch, it took very little time for the next chapter to be announced by Disney.
Although it has not been revealed whether the new movie will follow one of the other animated movies in the franchise or create its own story, fans were given a boost in July when it was revealed that Stitch co-creator and voice actor Chris Sanders will be once again back to work on the sequel. Currently, it is believed that Sanders will be writing the script for the new movie, and once again be giving everyone’s favorite alien his voice.
Naturally, there are concerns that Lilo & Stitch 2 might not manage to hit the same high as this year’s release, but with such a cultural icon as Stitch at its heart, there is always going to be a waiting, willing audience for whatever comes next. Of course, Sanders has been part of the franchise for long enough to know what he is doing, so the sequel seems to be in the best hands it possibly can be. Meanwhile, the instant success of the movie on Disney+ is not exactly a surprise, but continues to prove that the franchise – which was not the biggest hit 20 years ago – is one of the House of Mouse’s biggest assets.
Lilo & Stitch
- Release Date
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May 23, 2025
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Director
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Dean Fleischer Camp
- Writers
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Mike Van Waes, Chris Kekaniokalani Bright
- Producers
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Dan Lin
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