For many of us, Lilo & Stitch is all about ohana—”family”—a theme often echoed in the beloved animated film. The story follows an unlikely bond between an adventurous young girl, Lilo, and an escaped alien experiment, Stitch (a.k.a. Experiment 626), who becomes the best friend she’s been longing for.
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The live action adaptation will revisit Lilo, a lonely Hawaiian girl trying to piece together her childhood after the loss of her parents. She and her much older sister, Nani, struggle to see eye to eye, making it even harder to connect until one fateful night, when Lilo makes a wish on a “shooting star.” Unbeknownst to her, this wish sets the stage for a friendship unlike any other. Meeting the Most Charismatic Alien Ever Stitch is a one-of-a-kind friend, eager to fit into his new home. Just like Lilo, he longs for a place where he truly belongs, making them the perfect match. But as an escaped fugitive, Stitch must outrun two relentless bounty hunters determined to capture him and return him to the galactic prison he escaped from.
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Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, with a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, the film stars Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, with Maia Kealoha making her debut as Lilo.
Produced by Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., and Dan Lin, with Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, and Thomas Schumacher serving as executive producers, Lilo & Stitch is set to hit theaters nationwide on May 23, 2025.
