Lilo & Stitch live-action sequel is bringing back an original writer to pen the script

The Lilo & Stitch live-action adaptation was released on May 23, 2025, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was a remake of Disney's 2002 namesake animated film. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film was written by Mike Van Waes and Chris Kekaniokalani Bright. Here is the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

"The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family."

The film met with positive reviews and grossed $1.009 billion at the box office. Recently, it was revealed that a sequel is currently in work.

Lilo & Stitch sequel to feature a writer from the original film

The live-action Lilo & Stitch is getting a sequel. As per Deadline, Chris Sanders will be writing the sequel. Sanders co-wrote and co-directed the original film with Dean DeBlois. He also provided the voice of Stitch in both the original and the live-action version.

The franchise's consumer products minted $2.5 billion, and it even crossed $1 billion mark in 2024. The films have a watch time of 546 million hours on Disney+, while the original animated film has 280 million hours of views.

The live-action Lilo & Stitch is produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. It had its world premiere at Los Angeles' El Capitan Theatre on May 17, 2025.

Here is the list of its cast members:

Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai
Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch
Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani Pelekai
Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba's voice
Billy Magnussen as the voice of Agent Wendell Pleakley
Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles
Amy Hill as Tūtū
Tia Carrere as Mrs. Kekoa
Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena
Hannah Waddingham as Grand Councilwoman's voice
Jason Scott Lee as lū'au's manager
Emery Hookano-Briel as Mertle Edmonds
David Hekili Kenui Bell as the Big Hawaiian Dude

It revolves around a Hawaiian girl who is trying to cope with a ruptured family. She befriends a blue colored alien, which becomes the crux of the entire plot. The original 2002 film was traditionally animated and marked the directorial debut of Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. Made on a budget of $80 million, the film grossed $273.1 million. It received a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Oscars and was followed by three sequels that were direct-to-video.

Are you excited about the sequel?