Last June, Disney confirmed that it's moving forward with Lilo & Stitch 2. Dean Fleischer Camp will not return to direct; instead, Chris Sanders, who co-created, co-wrote and co-directed the original Lilo & Stitch animated movie, will step behind the camera to helm the follow-up.
Lilo & Stitch was a live-action remake of the 2002 animated movie originally developed for Disney+. That goes some way in explaining why corners were cut with certain VFX characters, leaving Pleakley and Jumba to be portrayed in human form (a cost-cutting measure to make it a better fit for streaming).
Despite any shortcomings—and a surprisingly divisive new ending—Lilo & Stitch grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, making it a massive hit for the House of Mouse.
Now, a first look at the upcoming sequel has been revealed (via Toonado.com). Photos from the set of Lilo & Stitch 2 in Hawaii show the titular characters—Maia Kealoha reprises her role as Lilo—alongside Angel, the pink illegal genetic experiment created by Dr. Jumba.
Both Stitch and Angel will obviously be brought to life with VFX, but the on-set reference models are indicative of how they'll look on screen.
Also known as Experiment 624, Angel is another illegal genetic experiment and Stitch's love interest (or "boojiboo", as they call each other), and is designed to turn individuals and experiments from good to evil by singing a siren song containing a special musical neuro-linguistic behavioural modification trigger.
Interestingly, Lilo's iconic handmade rag doll is now being used as her backpack. Whether this movie will deal with the backlash surrounding her and Nani's separation remains to be seen, but we know this isn't a direct adaptation of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. This movie could borrow ideas from that, but is likely to feature an original story based on how Disney typically approaches these follow-ups.
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.
Lilo & Stitch 2 is heading to theaters on May 28, 2028.