Interesting Facts About Lilo & Stitch

Tia Carrere, who originally voiced Nani Pelekai in Lilo ir Stičas (2002), has been cast in this film as Mrs. Kekoa, a new character.

Chris Sanders, who directed, wrote and devised the story for Lilo and Stitch (2002), returned to voice Stitch. He had to balance that voice-work whilst overseeing the production of his box-office hit animated drama Laukinukė Roz (2024).

It had initially been planned for a direct-to-streaming release on Disney+, but the favourable reaction at test screenings prompted Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to opt for a wide cinema release instead.

Lilo & Stitch (2002) was set in Hawaii, and the forthcoming live-action adaptation is being filmed on location there.

This film is dedicated to David Ogden Stiers and Zoe Caldwell, the original voices of Dr Jumba Jookiba and the Grand Council woman in the original animated franchise.

Chris Sanders is the only member of the original cast to reprise the role of Stitch; all other characters in this film are portrayed and voiced by new performers.

Ving Rhames, who portrayed Cobra Bubbles in the original film, was reportedly offered a cameo appearance in this instalment, but had to turn it down because of a scheduling clash with Neįmanoma misija. Galutinis atpildas (2025), which ultimately opened on the same day as this film.

Owing to his hectic schedule while working on The Wild Robot (2024), Chris Sanders recorded his dialogue for Stitch at the DreamWorks Animation Campus recording studio in Glendale. He was the first person to use it for an external project.

This is the fourth live-action Disney remake to feature a performer from the original animated film who returns to reprise a role, following:

• Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger - Christopher Robin (2018)
• Frank Welker as Abu and the Cave of Wonders - Aladdin (2019)
• James Earl Jones as Mufasa - The Lion King (2019)

The film will be released to mark the 20th anniversary of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005). Lilo & Stitch 2 had initially been planned for a cinema release but was ultimately issued straight to DVD after the poor box-office showing of The Jungle Book 2 (2003), although Disney later regretted that choice once the film proved successful in sales. A very similar circumstance surrounds this live-action project: it was first intended for streaming, but in the end it was decided to release it in cinemas.

Ohana is a Hawaiian term for family used in a broad sense — encompassing blood relatives, adopted members and those regarded as chosen family. The term is cognate with the Māori word kohanga, meaning 'nest'. The root oha refers to the root or corm of kalo, the taro plant (the staple staff of life in Hawaii), which Kanaka Maoli regard as their cosmological ancestor.

When casting the role of Lilo, Dean Fleischer Camp braced himself for an influx of stage parents ferrying their children to auditions. He wasn't, however, after that sort of child performer. "Children are so impressionable; their minds are like sponges and they learn what got them that Cheerios commercial, and they learn that it's about being cute," he explains. The downside to that type of child performer, he adds, is "people are very good at spotting when cuteness is put on. So we were after a child who was perhaps less experienced and someone we could work with." Maia Kealoha, he says, was utterly unlike those constantly booked youngsters: "She may well have been the only one we auditioned where it was so obvious she was the one dragging her parents to these auditions, rather than the other way around."

Because Lilo & Stitch (2002) was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), this live-action reboot is the first live-action reboot of a Disney animated feature to carry the same MPAA rating as the original two-dimensional film.

It was shot under the working title "Bad Dog," referencing Stitch being mischievously adopted as a dog. As a playful touch, a production company set up solely for the film was named "Blue Koala Pictures," inspired by the blue alien's resemblance to the marsupial.

The night before filming was due to commence, a trailer containing US$200,000 worth of costumes intended for the first three weeks of production was destroyed in a blaze. The Honolulu Police Department is investigating it as arson in the first degree; Hawaii has an unfortunate history of arson attacks against the local film industry.

According to the director Dean Fleischer Camp, Pleakley was intended to disguise himself as a woman to blend in with humans, and that original idea nearly made it into the film. In a TikTok clip answering fans' remarks about the trailer, Fleischer tackled the pressing question: 'Where is Pleakley's dress?' His response was plain — 'I tried' — and he then revealed previously unseen concept art showing Pleakley in a bright floral dress. The artwork makes it clear the team at one stage planned to include the moment, but it was eventually cut from the final cut.

Zach Galifianakis admitted he hadn't given much thought to joining the cast of Disney's live-action remake. He joked that his immediate response to director Dean Camp's invitation was, "What are the hours?" At the time he hadn't seen the 2002 animated children's film. He accepted the part of Jumba Jookiba, Stitch's evil genius creator, without knowing anything about the character. Galifianakis said Camp originally wanted him to play Pleakley, Jumba's sidekick, but two days later the director came back and asked if he would take on Jumba instead. He replied without hesitation, "Dean, I don't care. Whatever you need me to do. What will I do to get into one of these characters more deeply? It doesn't matter," he chuckled.

While recounting to Stitch Nani's history as a surfing champion, Lilo remarks that Nani's room once displayed several trophies. The original film includes a scene set in Nani's room where attentive viewers have noticed those surfing trophies.

The inaugural trailer amassed 158 million views online during its opening 24-hour period.

Courtney B. Vance has said that his family persuaded him to accept the part of Cobra Bubbles because his twins were frightened of Stitch and the other animated aliens, and therefore had never seen the original film or any of its sequels. Vance explained that by playing Cobra he hoped to help his children confront their fears.

Tia Carrere, who provided the original voice of Nani Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch (2002), is of American and Filipino heritage. Sydney Agudong, who plays Nani in this version, is also of American and Filipino heritage.

This marks Courtney B. Vance's debut in a Disney film.

Claimed the No. 2 spot in opening-day advance ticket sales for a Disney live-action remake, trailing only The Lion King (2019).

Jon M. Chu entered discussions to direct in 2020, but withdrew a year later in favour of Wicked (2024).

Pleakley briefly gives his full name as "Wendell Pleakley" on one occasion; in Lilo and Stitch: The Series he is referred to as "Wendy", a diminutive of "Wendell".

Director Dean Fleischer Camp told CinemaBlend’s sister magazine SFX that he insisted Maia Kealoha have a physical "Stitch" to work with on set, and that they formed a genuine bond during filming: 'I was fairly adamant that Maia needed something to act opposite. When you are putting money into a film, everyone says, "Could she just act with a tennis ball if we’re going to replace Stitch entirely?" But this was the film’s heart, and she deserved a proper scene partner. So we were like, "Get him out of the truck and put him on the rig," and she would kiss him goodnight. It was very sweet.'

Not all of Chris Sanders' voice lines in the film are newly recorded; at least one scene uses audio pulled from Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005). Sanders, a busy filmmaker, was working on another project for a separate company whilst the film was in production, which restricted his availability for recording. For this film he undertook five recording sessions, each lasting roughly four hours.

Lilo & Stitch opened on the same weekend as Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025), mirroring the original film's release, which went head-to-head with another Tom Cruise vehicle, Minority Report (2002). In 2002, Minority Report narrowly debuted at No. 1 in the US, whereas in 2025 Lilo & Stitch easily opened at No. 1. Additionally, Hannah Waddingham appears in both films.

As he's holding the soft-drink dispenser, several of Stitch's lines are lifted directly from the scene in Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch where he recounts his nightmare to Lilo, though they are slightly trimmed.

In 2020, before any production on this film had begun, original co-writer and co-director Dean DeBlois voiced his displeasure at Disney's growing tendency to remake their animated features, this project included. He argued that such remakes imply the animated originals are "lesser". DeBlois also lamented Disney's reluctance to take risks, despite their ability to do so. Ironically, he later set to work on his own live-action/CGI adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon (2025), serving as writer, director and producer; that adaptation is slated for release in the same summer film season as this picture.

As with the original film and its sequels, this picture is set on Kauai, although principal photography was carried out on Oahu.

David's pendant resembles Maui's fishhook, the same one featured in Disney's Moana.

The original film was set around the turn of the millennium, featuring Cobra Bubbles using a flip phone, tourists using film cameras, and a CRT monitor briefly glimpsed in the background of one scene. In this updated film, set in the 2020s, Cobra Bubbles now uses a smartphone. Nani's truck is fitted with a Kenwood KDC-BT35 CD player, which has a USB port, Bluetooth connectivity and SiriusXM satellite radio. Additionally, Stitch's toy vehicle is a Power Wheels ride-on toy car, modelled on the second-generation Range Rover Evoque introduced in 2018. Rather than reading Nani's diary, Lilo discovers her crush on David by reading her text messages.

At the time of filming, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong was 24, making her six years older than the character she portrayed, Nani Pelekai.

In record time for the film's casting: On 17 April 2023, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that newcomer Kahiau Machado had been cast as David Kawena. However, within hours it emerged that he had used a racial slur as the title of a years-old public Spotify playlist. It should be noted that, although the playlist was removed shortly afterwards, his profile containing it had already been archived by the Wayback Machine in 2019 and 2020. As a result, with the damage already done, Disney quietly dropped Machado and recast the role of David with Kaipo Dudoit.

Originally a casting notice announced the picture would go direct-to-streaming on Disney+, but Disney later upgraded it to a full cinema release. That decision plainly reflects confidence in the film’s quality and in Stitch’s strong commercial returns from merchandise.

Hannah Waddingham (the Grand Council Woman in the live-action reboot) had appeared alongside Ving Rhames (Cobra Bubbles in the original animated film) in The Garfield Movie (2024) a year earlier.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp said he was thrilled to bring the Ice Cream Man to life, but that he found the Grand Council Woman particularly intimidating because of her prominent role in the film's opening sequence. He said, "I was really excited about the ice-cream man. I enjoyed bringing all the characters to life, but the Grand Council Woman's design in the original is especially beautiful. Working out how to adapt her for live action was an enjoyable challenge. She is one of the few characters who move from our fully animated opening in space into later live-action scenes, which adds to the complexity. Even so, I love how imposing she is."

Filming was suspended in July 2023 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The timing could not have been worse, as the film reportedly had only one week of shooting left at that time. It eventually recommenced in February 2024, about three months after the strike had finished, and filming concluded in early March.

The film premiered in the same summer film season as another live-action reimagining of an animated feature that was originally written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon (2025).

The official trailer debuted on 12 March 2025, the day that marked the 63rd birthday of Stitch's creator, voice actor and the writer-director of the original Lilo & Stitch, Chris Sanders.

The film is dedicated to special effects co-ordinator John C. Hartigan, who died in November 2024.

The script’s development took some time. When the film was first announced in October 2018, Mike Van Waes was commissioned to produce the first draft. Disney, however, were not satisfied with his work and declined to give it the green light. Consequently, Chris Kekaniokalani Bright was engaged to rework the screenplay. Despite those revisions, a substantial portion of Van Waes' original script was retained in the finished film, which entitled him to a screenwriting credit alongside Bright under the rules of the Writers Guild of America West. Their names appear with an "and" between them.

Jumba's 'human' guise, played by Zach Galifianakis, bears a striking resemblance to how Dean DeBlois, the co-writer and director of the original film, looked during its production.

Although he had reprised the role on several occasions over the years, this marks the first time Chris Saunders has voiced Stitch in a film since Lilo & Stitch nearly nineteen years earlier, and his first time voicing the character in a theatrically released feature film since the original in 2002.

Eighty per cent of on-set waste was diverted from landfill and repurposed within the local community, thanks to support from Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i. The coastline-protection organisation established waste-sorting stations at filming locations — with clearly labelled bins for recycling, composting and rubbish — and provided on-site guidance to help cast and crew prepare ordinary waste for reuse.

More than 3,500 pounds of surplus food were donated to the food-rescue not-for-profit Aloha Harvest, equivalent to two years' worth of meals for a single person.

During its opening weekend, it secured a larger box-office gross than Lilo & Stitch (2002).

In February 2020, before production had begun, the Disney fan blog The DisInsider reported that Disney was planning to make the film available directly on Disney+. However, in November that year, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney had not yet settled on a release format. Two years on, Disney issued a casting call that confirmed the film would be released on Disney+. Despite this, Disney appeared to change course and announced at D23 in 2024 that the film would instead be released in cinemas the following summer.

It grossed $183 million in the US over the Memorial Day weekend — the highest total of any film, surpassing Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which earned $161 million.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp shared a link to an article defending the film's ending. He accompanied it with, "For anyone questioning the ending of our film, this beautiful piece [...] nails it." After re-posting several positive messages from fans, he later added, "Thank you for sharing your stories with me. It seems that those with real-life experience of this are the people for whom this ending resonates most strongly."

Its release took place during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Disney collaborated with four Hawai'i-based organisations — Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i (SCH), Bottles4College, Full Circle Farms and Aloha Harvest — to re-evaluate conventional production practices and integrate sustainability across the production process.

Some promotional materials portray Lilo in her signature red floral dress. In the film she never actually wears that dress — her principal outfit is a red floral top paired with dungarees.

Nani can be seen wearing a Prince 'Purple Rain' T-shirt.

Set a record for the biggest opening for a live-action adaptation of an animated film, debuting at US$341 million and eclipsing the original 2002 animated film.

Not-for-profit organisation Bottles4College ensured that bottles and cans were not simply recycled; the proceeds from the recycling centre were directed towards university scholarships for local students.

Used cooking oil collected from the on-set kitchens was processed into biodiesel, a cleaner-burning fuel alternative employed during production.

To depict a social worker, Tia Carrere sought guidance from the mother of director Dean Fleischer Camp, who is a social worker.

Some 18,000 pounds (approximately 8,165 kilograms) of food scraps and compostable packaging were sent to the local Full Circle Farms, where they were turned into nutrient-rich soil used to grow local produce.

A promotional email dispatched by the animal shelter after Lilo's adoption of Stitch states she adopted him on 26 June, a date recognised in the real world as "Stitch Day" (or "626 Day" in Disney's marketing).

Dr Jumba Jookiba speaks with an American English accent rather than a Russian one.

Props, timber and set materials were repurposed by local charities and schools once filming had finished.

The portal gun and the "trap" Stitch creates with it are an homage to the Portal games, Portal 1 & 2.

Established the record for the largest opening weekend for a live-action/animated film, overtaking Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019).

Unlike the original film, which depicted the deaths of her and Nani's parents as having occurred fairly recently in that film's timeline, their parents will have been dead for "a few years" by the time the remake is set, with Lilo masking her grief through "relentless, fun-loving optimism".