‘Lilo & Stitch 2’ in the Works After Live-Action Box Office Success
Disney is moving forward with a sequel to its live-action Lilo & Stitch film, following the movie’s strong performance in theaters. The company confirmed this week that the next chapter is now in development.
The film, which premiered on May 23, 2025, has become one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.
It has made over $923 million worldwide so far, putting it just behind A Minecraft Movie, which has earned $954 million globally. These big numbers likely helped push Disney to greenlight a sequel.
There are no details yet on the cast or crew for the new movie. Disney hasn’t announced who will return or who will direct. Still, the studio clearly sees potential in continuing the story, especially after seeing how well the first film did.
The live-action version was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. It featured Maia Kealoha as Lilo and brought back Chris Sanders, the original voice of Stitch. The supporting cast included Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and others like Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Amy Hill.
The movie used a mix of live-action and CGI. While many fans liked the fresh take, others weren’t happy with some of the changes from the original 2002 animated version. Some characters were missing, and not everyone liked how certain roles were portrayed. Even so, the film was a major hit with audiences.
Critics had mixed feelings. On Rotten Tomatoes, 71% gave it a positive rating. Metacritic was less impressed, scoring it 53 out of 100. However, general moviegoers responded better. CinemaScore gave it an “A” rating, and PostTrak reported 90% positive feedback.
The movie also broke records. It made $183 million during its opening Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., the highest ever for that holiday. It stayed at the top of the box office for several weeks.
Before the movie came out, there was no clear plan for a sequel. Director Dean Fleischer Camp said they hadn’t discussed a follow-up yet. “We want to see how people react to this one first,” he said. Producer Jonathan Eirich had hinted that they added small Easter eggs for fans, nods to characters like Angel and Reuben, but said that a second movie would only happen if the first one did well.
Now that fans have shown strong support, Disney is ready to move ahead. There’s no release date yet, and production has not started. But it’s safe to say Stitch and the rest of the crew will be back.