LILO & STITCH Co-Creator Returns for Live-Action Sequel

Published: June 17, 2026

By India McCarty

Original animated LILO & STITCH co-creator, co-writer and co-director Chris Sanders will return to the franchise to direct the live-action’s sequel.

“Sanders, who also voiced the character of Stitch in both animated and live-action form, was already deeply involved with the feature as its screenwriter,” The Hollywood Reporter shared. “The sequel is now on the wave to production, with shooting due to begin later this year.”

LILO & STITCH 2 was announced on Instagram last year, with Disney posting a funny video of the beloved alien driving a small pink car with the caption, “Should’ve known he couldn’t keep a secret, A 626 day surprise: #LiloAndStitch 2 is now in development!”

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Sanders was one of the creative minds behind 2002’s LILO & STITCH, which was rebooted for a live-action version in 2025. The movie was a box office smash, bringing in over $1 billion worldwide, per BoxOfficeMojo.

It also received a positive review from Movieguide®, calling the movie “lots of fun, with touching moments of rescue and redemption.”

“Stitch is an example of what Disney actually does best,” David Greenbaum, President of Disney Live Action and 20 Century Studios, said in a 2025 press release. “An extraordinary animated film from 2002 that becomes a series [LILO & STITCH: THE SERIES] that then over time creates a real fanship, which leads to us looking at the idea of creating this wonderful film that we now are bringing out to the world.”

Greenbaum shared that LILO & STITCH is “actually one of our fastest growing franchises,” pointing out the “global” appeal of the blue alien.

“There’s a real affinity for Stitch among boys and girls, men and women,” he explained. “A lot of the people who love LILO & STITCH saw it as kids, now, years later, have their own families who want to share LILO & STITCH with their own kids, myself included.”

Greenbaum continued, “One of the things that [Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman] Alan Bergman talks a lot about is that our movies have heart and humor, and I think LILO & STITCH does exactly that. The experience of watching this movie with your family, with your friends, is one that is joyful and also, I think leaves you feeling lifted as you exit the theater.”

LILO & STITCH 2 is expected to hit theaters May 26, 2028.

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