Like Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio before it, original plans called for Lilo & Stitch to be a Disney+ exclusive. However, ever since Bob Iger returned as Disney CEO, the studio has shifted away from making movies for streaming in a bid to increase profits.
It makes sense because spending close to $100 million (if not more) on a movie in the hope of boosting subscriber numbers doesn't ultimately produce the same reward as a successful theatrical run. That's why Moana 2 is now a feature instead of the Disney+ series it was originally produced as.
So, somewhat unsurprisingly, Lilo & Stitch is officially being released in theaters next summer. With that news comes our first official look at the live-action Stitch as the beloved Experiment 626 unleashes his signature brand of chaos.
In 2022, original Lilo & Stitch designer, co-writer, and co-director Chris Sanders shared his thoughts on plans to remake the movie in live-action. "I think the most obvious thing is Stitch has to be Stitch, visually [speaking]," he said. "Details count, so I’d be very curious how they handle Stitch’s textures. If he's not the same shape, he's not the same character. Staying true to his appearance will be critical."
"Standing in front of him [at Disney World] was intimidating. Because you're like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s what he would look like if he was in the real world. Okay, that's not even close to a dog.' So you could not walk in with him and go, 'Hey, look, I bought a dog at the pound!’ People would be jumping out of windows and running for their lives. If it's on-screen, will you be able to forgive it if he looks exactly the same?"
We see now that Disney has nailed the character's appearance (which was evident from set photos showing a photorealistic stand-in) and, since these comments, Sanders has been enlisted to reprise his role as Stitch's voice, adding another layer of authenticity.
Lilo & Stitch is a tale of a young girl's close encounter with the galaxy's most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small ugly "dog," whom she names Stitch. Stitch would be the perfect pet if he weren't in reality a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and crash-landed on Earth.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and produced by Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin, Lilo & Stitch is a live-action reimagining of the animated classic.
Starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere and Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis, the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family comes to theaters in summer 2025.