Everybody’s favorite ohana is soon headed back to the big screen. On Friday, Walt Disney Studios officially announced that its live-action take on Lilo & Stitch will be released exclusively in theaters on May 23, 2025. Attached to the announcement was a brief teaser, which shows the film’s computer-generated version of Stitch running through the frame. This was the second major release date that Disney announced for the 2025 season, with the Freaky Friday sequel Freakier Friday confirmed to premiere in theaters on August 8, 2025.
The live-action take on Lilo & Stitch has been in the works for several years now, and was initially expected to premiere exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service before moving to a theatrical release. The first official glimpse at footage of the live-action take on Stitch was screened during August’s D23 Expo, and was met with a wide array of responses for its photorealistic translation of the cartoony alien character.
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Who Is in the Cast of the Lilo & Stitch Remake?
The live-action Lilo & Stitch will see franchise co-creator Chris Sanders return as the voice of Stitch, with new cast members including Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai, Sydney Agudong as Nani Pelekai, Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and Billy Magnussen as Agent Pleakley. Tia Carrere and Jason Scott Lee, who voiced Nani and David in the original film, will also be returning in new roles.
“It’s a story about connection, and a kid trying to find a friend, and all you can do is approach a project like that with love,” Magnussen explained in a previous interview with Gamesradar. “I am so grateful and honored to be a part of that project.”
What Will the Live-Action Lilo & Stitch Be About?
Lilo & Stitch follows the bond formed between a lonely human girl named Lilo and a dog-like alien named Stitch, who was genetically engineered to be a force of destruction. With nosy social workers and pursuing aliens banging on the door, the two bonded over a shared sense of family and win the day. The project will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who helmed the Oscar-nominated Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. Chris Kekaniokalani Bright wrote the script. Producers in the project will include Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Ryan Halprin executive producing.
“I would say that I had a lovely conversation with director Dean Fleischer Camp very early, before they began shooting,” Sanders explained to Vulture in a recent interview. “He gave me a call and asked if I wanted to return as the voice. I had yet to meet him in person, but we spoke until the battery on my phone gave out. He seemed to have a great enthusiasm for the project and seemed like a thoughtful guy. I only knew him from his film Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. Had I not been deeply embroiled in The Wild Robot, I may have tried to fly out there and visit the set or something. But this was their baby.”
As mentioned above, the live-action Lilo & Stitch will be released exclusively in theaters on May 23, 2025.
