A New Stitch to Invade Theaters in 2025
By Joseph Montgomery
In 2002, Disney Animation Studios released “Lilo & Stitch,” what is now regarded as a Disney classic. The film follows Lilo Pelekai, a young Hawaiian local girl who lost her parents to a car accident, only for her older sister Nani to take their place as her guardian. Despite the hardships they face together, the two sisters love and depend on one another very much. Their lives take a complete turn, however, when a mischievous fugitive alien crashlands into Hawai’i and eventually becomes a part of their family. Throughout the film, Lilo and the alien ― whom she refers to as Stitch ― both form a special friendship as eccentric oddballs who feel isolated from their respective communities.
“Lilo & Stitch” was both a critical and financial hit during its release, and received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature alongside “Treasure Planet” ― another Disney film with a science-fiction twist. The film also went on to receive its own straight-to-video sequels and even a series on Disney Channel that lasted for two seasons from 2003 to 2006.
To this day, the film is treasured by many thanks to its stunning hand-drawn animation, engaging characters, and passionate efforts to represent the Native Hawaiian community ― along with the local Hawaiian community, in general.
Stitch especially continues to be one of Disney's most prominent icons, as he went on to appear in numerous spin-off works ― including an anime, a Chinese animated show, and a manga. While each of those spin-offs re-contextualizes Stitch by pairing him with a different human character within a unique part of the globe, as opposed to with Lilo in Hawai’i, they still preserve the spirit of the original through the engaging oddball interactions between the extraterrestrial troublemaker and each of his human companions.
Given the many installments that define the franchise and the merchandise it generated over the years ― from plush toys to fashion accessories ― “Lilo & Stitch” has been and continues to be a household name from Disney.
Now, alongside many of Disney’s other animated classics, “Lilo & Stitch” will be given the live-action treatment.
On November 25, Disney released its official teaser for its live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” ― featuring a special look at the remake’s depiction of the titular alien. The trailer briefly shows Disney’s trademark castle icon as a sand castle on a Hawaiian beach, only for Stitch to leap in and tear it down. The trailer then closes with a sample of the song “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” playing along with the title reveal.
Based on what the trailer offers, the remake will recapture Stitch's trademark personality as a force of mischief whose chaotic hijinks profoundly affect everyone and everything within his path. This one-of-a-kind persona is reinforced in a promotional poster featuring the new Stitch clutching a Kakamora, a coconut-disguised pirate from the “Moana” films, to correlate with the recent release of “Moana 2.” Another poster was released by Disney satirizing the 2019 "Lion King" remake ― most likely to correlate with the release of the prequel film "Mufasa" ― in which Rafiki raises Stitch into the air like the newborn Simba.
Numerous users throughout social media speculated such advertising choices serves as a callback to a distinct promotional campaign for the original film in which Stitch interrupts iconic scenes from some of Disney Animation’s biggest releases around that time ― with examples including “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” This campaign is fondly remembered by Disney fans as a series of crossovers between a new, soon-to-be classic character and already established icons of Disney's library of animated films.
This is not the first time the new version of Stitch has been revealed to the public, on the other hand. Back in August, the D23 Expo ― a convention dedicated to Disney-oriented nostalgia and popular culture ― presented a special look at the photorealistic Stitch as he crashes the convention center and wreaks havoc at the event. The reveal for the new Stitch was met with thunderous applause by attendees, and some users on social media positively remarked how the design of Stitch translates flawlessly from hand-drawn animation into photorealistic C.G.I.
One user, Tony Goldmark, shared a post on X ― formally known as Twitter ― describing the new design of the iconic alien as "unmistakably Stitch." "Assuming we all accept that a photorealistic CGI Stitch is something that had to exist," the post stated, "well... assignment understood."
Another user on X, Weird-O, described the remake's design "as good as a photorealistic Stitch is gonna get," further adding that "at least he's going to actually BE able to do the one thing the Mufasa movie won't be able to do: FULLY EMOTE."
The film will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who previously worked on the Oscar-nominated indie mockumentary “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” back in 2021. This choice might further establish Disney's emphasis on having the remake maintain the charm of the original with its weird yet light-hearted humor ― especially when it comes to the dynamics between its titular leads.
Writers for the remake will include Mike Van Waes and Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, the latter of whom wrote the script for a biopic based on the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku ― which is currently still in development. Bright's involvement as a screenwriter for the remake, in particular, highlights the effort to expose audiences to Hawaiian locals ― especially Native Hawaiians ― along with their lifestyle and customs.
This aspect of the remake can be further indicated by the casting for Lilo. While the animated predecessor gave the role of Lilo to Daveigh Chase, a white actress, the live-action role for Lilo is given to the seven-year-old newcomer Maia Kealoha, a Native Hawaiian from the Big Island of Hawai’i ― who was confirmed to land the role back in March. In an article for People.com, the young actress shared her exciting experience of learning that she landed the role as Lilo.
“When I found out I was going to be Lilo, my jaw literally dropped and I couldn't even believe it,” she fondly reminisced in the article. “I rung my dad and I said, ‘I did it! I'm Lilo! I'm Lilo!’ And then they grabbed me and we jumped up and down. I was so excited!”
Other actors confirmed to star in the remake include Sydney Agudong as Nani; Kaipo Dudoit as Nani’s boyfriend David Kawena; Courtney B. Vance as social worker Cobra Bubbles; Zach Galifianakis as Stitch's scientist creator Jumba; and Billy Magnussen as Jumba's assistant Pleakley.
Chris Sanders, the director behind the original film and voice behind Stitch, has been confirmed to reprise his role for the remake. Much like with how the late James Earl Jones reprised his role Mufasa for the 2019 remake of “The Lion King,” Sanders’ performance as Stitch has become such an identifiable aspect of the character that it will be introduced to a new generation of viewers ― all while garnishing the excitement of those who grew up with the franchise.
Meanwhile, Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original film, will star in the remake as Mrs. Kekoa ― a social worker whom Disney’s casting call for the remake describes as “a practical, by-the-book, kind, and patient woman who checks in regularly with Nani, whom she can tell is struggling to keep her head above water while taking care of her younger sister.”
Amy Hill, who previously starred in the original as the fruit vendor Lynne Hasagawa, will also star in the remake as another original character, Tūtū. This character is described to be David’s grandmother, as well as “a longtime neighbor of Lilo and Nani.” The casting call for the remake further details Tūtū as “a warm, quick-witted woman who speaks with a local Pidgin accent.”
While the inclusion of Carrere and Hill in the remake will strongly appeal to the nostalgia of the franchise's fans, their roles will also contribute to the remake's goal of expanding on and further exploring the community and culture of Hawaiian locals.
The “Lilo & Stitch” remake will invade theaters on May 23, 2025. Many long-time fans of Disney's out-of-this-world icon are surely looking forward to whatever antics he will pull off in live action.