Chris Sanders To Direct Lilo and Stitch Sequel

Following the box office success of the 2025 live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch by Disney, a sequel is now in development and filming is scheduled to start later this year, with original co-creator and director Chris Sanders taking the director’s chair.

The 2002 original animated classic featured the voice work of Sanders as Experiment 626, later named Stitch, as well as Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, and Kevin Michael Richardson. It tells the charming story of a Hawaiian girl dealing with the tragic loss of her parents and a turbulent relationship with her teenage sister, who finds comfort in a runaway genetically engineered alien experiment who poses as her pet dog.

The original Lilo and Stitch received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, with a live-action update being announced in October 2018, as Disney’s 24th remake of an animated feature.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the 2025 version of Lilo and Stitch stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo in her film debut, alongside Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis.

Sanders also reprised his voice role as the alien experiment Stitch.

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Despite mixed reviews, the remake grossed $1.038 billion worldwide at the box office, being marked as 2025’s fourth highest-grossing release (behind Avatar: Fire and Ash and ahead of A Minecraft Movie) and the highest-grossing live-action and animated hybrid film of all time.

Reports have confirmed the live-action sequel will come with an original story.

Additional upcoming live-action remakes of Disney animated classics include Moana, Tangled and Hercules. There are also plans for a Gaston-based Beauty and the Beast live-action spin-off, as well as a third Maleficent film and a sequel to the Cruella prequel.

About the Author

Ros Tibbs

Editor

Ros is a film and lit graduate writing news and reviews at The People's Magazine. She also writes long-form film theory, film history, analytical or curated recommendations pieces on other platforms.

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