Stitch (voice of Chris Sanders) in “Lilo & Stitch.”
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Lilo & Stitch — the blockbuster live-action remake of the 2002 Disney animated movie classic— is coming to streaming on Disney+ this week.
The film was released in theaters on May 23 and debuted on digital streaming via premium video on demand on July 22. Like the original animated classic, the story follows an orphaned Hawaiian girl, Lilo (Maia Kealoha), who is being cared for by her teenage sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong). Unbeknownst to both of them, Stitch — a furry, blue creature they adopt from the animal pound — is not actually a dog, but an alien experiment gone awry who is exiled from his fellow aliens’ ship in the cosmos to Earth.
Despite all the havoc Stitch causes, Lilo and Nani bond with the lovable troublemaker and they feel like a family again. However, there are aliens sent to Earth to locate Stitch — as well as human authorities — each of which threatens to break up furry dynamo and his newfound family.
Lilo & Stitch also stars Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill and Kaipo Dudoit and the voice of Hannah Waddingham. The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and also stars the voice of Chris Sanders, who directed the animated version of Lilo & Stitch.
Disney recently announced that Lilo & Stitch will arrive on Disney+ on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Disney+ has two subscription options: The Disney+ Basic plan, which contains advertising, is $9.99 per month and the Disney+ Premium plan, which is ad-free, is $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year.
‘Lilo & Stitch’s Director Recalls How Maia Kealoha ‘Lit Up The Room’ When She Auditioned
The live-action version of Lilo & Stitch marks the film debut of Maia Kealoha as Lilo, whom director Dean Fleischer Camp knew from the start was an incredible find.
“She lit up the room when she walked in. I think we all felt like we had a real front-runner here,” Fleischer Camp told Deadline when the film was released in theaters. “We cast a wide net and tried to see as many kids as we could because it’s a really unusual thing to find somebody who checks all those boxes and has enthusiasm, maturity and imagination. She’s a needle in a haystack and we’re so glad that we found her.
“And I can remember thinking when she walked in, it was so clear, and this should be important to any casting director,” the filmmaker added. “It was so clear when Maia walked in that she was dragging her parents to these auditions and not the other way around at all.”
Following its No. 1 debut in its opening weekend, Lilo & Stitch is currently the highest-grossing film globally in 2025, having earned $422 million domestically and $610 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $1.032 billion. The film cost $100 million to produce before marketing costs, The Numbers reported.
Rated PG, Lilo & Stitch arrives on Disney+ on Wednesday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/08/30/live-action-smash-lilo–stich-new-on-disney-this-week/
