Left: Disney CEO Bob Iger. Right: 2025 Stitch.

As of this writing, Box Office Mojo reports that Disney’s 2025 live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has grossed over US $975 million worldwide. Originally slated for release on Disney’s streaming service Disney+, Lilo & Stitch reportedly cost US $100 million to produce, with an additional US $75 million spent on marketing.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and starring newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lilo—alongside the return of Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch—the family‑friendly film grossed an astonishing US $182 million domestically and US $361 million worldwide over its four‑day Memorial‑Day weekend opening, making it the largest Memorial‑Day debut in history.

Now nearing the end of its theatrical run, it’s uncertain whether Lilo & Stitch will reach the billion‑dollar milestone. What is certain, though, is that it has been a huge triumph for the House of Mouse and, given Disney’s recent string of theatrical flops, a much‑needed win for Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Walt Disney stock dropped in April 2025, trading in the low US $80-$90 range. It has since recovered and is currently around US $120. Factoring in inflation—and considering that in March 2021 Walt Disney stock briefly traded above US $190 - long‑term stockholders will likely feel relieved rather than pleased! Bob Iger is expected to step down as Disney’s CEO when his contract ends in December 2026, with a successor to be named in early 2026 for continuity. The jury is still out on whether, between now and then, Iger can course‑correct and stem falling revenue from the Magic Kingdom and other park properties while memory‑holing the recent procession of theatrical flops such as Captain America: Brave New World, Snow White, and Pixar’s latest offering, Elio. Industry insiders claim Disney is “flushing” questionable projects and employees out of the system—and that brighter days and higher stock prices lie ahead.

Though the original 2002 animated Lilo & Stitch played a significant role in revitalising Disney’s animation studio during a challenging period, the success of this live‑action remake perhaps represents a lesson rather than a return to form. There is clear audience demand for neo‑pantomime films that don’t overtly evangelise or politicise the latest Hollywood talking points—rather movies that prioritise fun, comedy, and adventure while being couched in timeless themes that speak to the human condition—movies once simply called “family‑friendly.”

Management at Disney has arguably begun to take such lessons on board, if for no other reason than to bolster the company’s bottom line. Disney–Pixar’s 2024 breakout success, Inside Out 2, grossed over US $1.69 billion worldwide. Insiders claim the movie was altered during production to ensure the central character Riley Andersen, a teenage girl navigating school, friendships and puberty didn’t have her admiration for Valentina “Val” Ortiz (also a teenage girl) ‘mistaken’ for a romantic crush.

Disney–Pixar’s latest original, Elio, currently in theaters, is another example. Elio was originally written as an LGB character; scenes were cut and rewrites written. Unfortunately for Disney, that wasn’t enough: audiences have largely snubbed Elio and netizens have panned its animation style—mocking the titular character’s “bean mouth.” It’s a flop.

Given these bipolar box‑office results, what’s next for Lilo & Stitch? Aside from potentially lucrative ancillary revenue streams such as merchandise and streaming—a sequel, of course! Lilo & Stitch 2 was announced on June 26, 2025, in honor of “626 Day” (a nod to Stitch’s experiment number).

Disney’s greenlighting of Lilo & Stitch 2 is obviously an attempt to further cash in on the remake’s success. The sequel will likely be fast‑tracked, given concerns that Maia Kealoha—the eight‑year‑old Hawaiian actress who plays Lilo Pelekai—may soon age out of the role.

Disney would be wise to tread carefully going forward, as cinematic audiences have become more discerning and unforgiving in recent years. Though undeniably successful, the live‑action remake of Lilo & Stitch turned out to be an average film that benefited from Stitch’s cult following and a lack of alternative family‑friendly movies in theaters.

Maia Kealoha did not fully embody the strong‑will or odd personality of the original animated Lilo. Sydney Elizabeth Agudong was miscast as Nani Pelekai, Lilo’s older sister and legal guardian; her unconvincing performance and forced affect sometimes jarred with the film’s tone.

Chris Sanders, the original voice of Stitch, returned to the role, and his work came close to matching that of the 2002 original. Industrial Light & Magic did a fantastic job animating the cartoonish CGI characters—blue fur in Pantone shades is notoriously difficult to work with, yet they nailed it. (See the animation saga that surrounded Paramount Pictures’ 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog.)

Director Dean Fleischer Camp, for the most part, tracked the original animated narrative—albeit loosely. Characters were added and subtracted, and lines often needlessly edited. Most of these changes added little to the story; if anything, they diluted both the comedy and the Hawaiian concept of “Ohana,” which emphasises the importance of family.

Overall, Disney’s live‑action Lilo & Stitch has been well received by kids and adults alike for its bright, fun, and adventurous take on a modern classic, the mischievous character of Stitch, and the lack of overt political messaging—leading to its mass appeal as a family‑friendly film. However, Disney may need to up its game if it expects Lilo & Stitch 2 to replicate the same box‑office success.