Disney’s Latest Live-Action Hit Is Already Gearing Up For a Sequel
Disney’s live-action version of Lilo & Stitch is getting a sequel. The news broke across social media earlier this week, confirming that a follow-up is now officially in the works. The announcement comes after the film’s huge success in theaters.
It’s currently one of the highest-grossing movies of 2025, earning over $923 million globally. The only film to make more this year so far is A Minecraft Movie with over $954 million, according to Disney.
There’s still no word on who will return for the second film, no confirmed cast or director yet. But Disney clearly sees something special in this remake, and fans should expect more news in the future.
The first live-action Lilo & Stitch premiered on May 23, 2025, after years of development. It was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, with newcomer Maia Kealoha starring as Lilo.
Chris Sanders returned to voice Stitch, just like he did in the original 2002 animated version. The rest of the cast included Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, Zach Galifianakis as Jumba, and others like Billy Magnussen and Amy Hill.
The movie blends live-action with CGI, and while some fans loved it, others weren’t thrilled with changes made from the original story. Some criticized the removal of certain characters and the way others were handled.
But audiences overall responded well. On Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of critics gave it a positive review. Metacritic was more mixed, giving it a score of 53 out of 100. Audiences, however, gave it an “A” on CinemaScore and a 90% positive rating on PostTrak.
Despite mixed reviews, it smashed the box office. It made a huge $183 million during Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., breaking the previous holiday weekend record. It held the top spot for several weeks and performed even better than expected.
The idea of a sequel had been floating around for a while, but the team behind the film said they weren’t planning anything unless the first film did well. Back in an interview before the movie came out, director Dean Fleischer Camp said, “We haven’t talked about a sequel seriously yet. We want to see how people react to this one first.”
Producer Jonathan Eirich added that they placed a few Easter eggs in the film—little hints about characters like Angel and Reuben—for fans to find.
Now that fans have shown strong support at the box office, Disney has decided to move forward with another installment. There’s no release date yet, and production details are still under wraps. But it’s clear that Stitch and the rest of the ‘ohana will be back.
This sequel news feels like a natural next step, especially with how well the first film did financially. While it’s always a risk remaking beloved classics, it seems like Disney’s gamble paid off here. I just hope the sequel focuses more on the things fans loved about the original Lilo & Stitch, that special mix of heart, humor, and family. What do you think about the sequel announcement? Are you excited or worried about where the story will go next? Let us know in the comments below!
