This might be 2025 least surprising news story. As we first reported on Toonado.com, Disney has confirmed that it's moving forward with Lilo & Stitch 2. The studio has not revealed whether Dean Fleischer Camp will return to direct, though we'd bet on Chris Sanders and Maia Kealoha returning as the titular duo.
Lilo & Stitch was a live-action remake of the 2002 animated movie originally developed for Disney+ (explaining why corners were cut with certain VFX characters; in other words, cost-cutting measures to make it a better fit for streaming).
Despite any shortcomings—and a surprisingly divisive new ending—Lilo & Stitch has so far grossed $923 million at the worldwide box office. It should near, or eventually pass, $1 billion worldwide and has been a massive hit for the House of Mouse.
With Thunderbolts* and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning underperforming in May, it was down to Lilo & Stitch to dominate theaters last month.
Talking to Variety about bringing Sanders back as Experiment 626, Camp said, "That was one of the first conversations. I made sure to get that assurance before I even said yes to the project. I was like, 'Chris Sanders.' And they said, 'Yeah, he’s eager to come back,' so working with him was a dream."
"I think it really says a lot for the team that created the original movie. That collaborative process was pretty unique at the time, and still, [it was] a lot of those team members’ favorite experience making a movie or one of them," the director continued. "They sort of built this little ohana in making that film, and they were so eager to help out, and enthusiastic about reuniting, helping us, or supporting us however they could."
Asked about a possible sequel, he confirmed it would only happen if it was "right idea." Camp added, "I wouldn’t do it just because there’s a new market demand for it. But I also really like the idea of doing an animated spin-off as an episodic or limited series."
The original Lilo & Stitch got a direct-to-video sequel, 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.
You can check out the official announcement video below.
Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
The movie is directed by award-winning filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), with a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, and stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and introduces Maia Kealoha.
by Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a. and Dan Lin, with Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, Thomas Schumacher serving as executive producers.
Lilo & Stitch is now playing in theaters.