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Lilo & Stitch release date: Disney's live-action remake of the 2002 animated classic smashes into theaters this May

Unfortunately, Stitch isn't as live-action as he may seem, given that no alien that cute actually exists (that we know of)

Guides by Graeme McMillan, Editor

Published on Thu May 01 2025

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Everyone loved the animated adventures of Lilo & Stitch back in 2002, so it was only a matter of time before the Walt Disney Company did what the Walt Disney Company does, and brought the characters back to the big screen in live action — or, in Stitch’s case, photo-realistic CGI. (Sorry, everyone; Stitch isn’t real.) If you’re wondering when Lilo & Stitch get to show off their new forms, we’ve got the answer.

Chris Sanders, who voiced Stitch in 2002 animated original, gets to reprise his role in this new take on the story about an alien created to destroy who ends up being adopted by a young human girl, and learning to be… well, a little less of a menace as a result. He’ll be a welcoming presence when Lilo & Stitch makes it to theaters on its release date of May 23, 2025.

He’s not the only voice actor from the original who returns for the remake; Tia Carrere, who voiced Lilo’s older sister Nani, plays Mrs. Kekoa in the new version, and Jason Scott Lee, who voiced Nani’s love interest in the original, plays lu’au manager in a cameo. New cast members for the live action movie include Maia Kealoha as the new Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as the new Nani, and Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Hannah Waddingham as aliens out to capture Stitch.

You know what? It might be easier if you just watched the trailer:

The new Lilo & Stitch will fly into theaters May 23.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.