Disney has been remaking many of its animated classics over the past decade. The Jungle Book and The Lion King got live-action adaptations, with the latter even getting a prequel centered on Mufasa.

Following this trend, another beloved animated film is getting a live-action remake: Lilo & Stitch. The original 2002 film followed a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, and her older sister, Nani, adopting an alien. They thought it was a dog, not realizing it was a fugitive that the United Galactic Federation was hunting. The first full-length trailer has finally dropped, and here is what fans can expect from the new movie.

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In the original Disney animated movie, the lonely Lilo needed a support animal. Nani and Lilo bought the blue “dog” at a shelter, thinking it would calm the restless child and stop her from acting out. Lilo named the alien Stitch, finding it cute and fuzzy, not realizing he was an experiment and a weapon classified as “626.” Stitch turned out to be unruly, impulsive, strong and a lover of carnage.

The trailer has Stitch following the same path of havoc. He’s seen tossing CDs out of cars, causing accidents and chasing chickens, among other things. It’s a step up from the old Disney movie where he wrecked Lilo’s home. He was troublesome in public, but the live-action remake is kicking it into high-gear, proving Stitch really is an agent of destruction. That’s his very nature and what his maker, Dr. Jumba Jookiba, designed him to be before they were incarcerated.

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In the original movie, the Pelekais lost their parents just a few years prior to Stitch stealing a ship and crashing on the island. That’s why the wounds were so raw. Lilo was restless, because she was still going through grief and suffering. The trauma showed whenever Lilo talked about the picture of her parents, which seared into Stitch’s heart, getting him to be a better pet.

Lilo & Stitch’s Original Ratings

Nani and Lilo didn’t talk much about the event, however. It might well have been due to Disney not wanting to bog the family film down with melancholy, but other family movies and shows have added in more serious, adult tones. Disney has done this through movies like Inside Out, or TV series like Disney+’s Win or Lose. Lilo & Stitch can explore more of this family trauma arc, as it will hinge on the staple precept of this franchise, Ohana.

Hawaiians use it when talking about family. In the animated stories of old, Lilo made it clear it meant “nobody gets left behind.” Here, Nani adds in “or forgotten,” which implies she is talking about their parents. Reports suggest the deaths occurred some years prior, so Nani may well be using this tragedy to get Lilo to mature as well. It’s what their parents would have wanted.

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The original movie had Ving Rhames voicing Cobra Bubbles, a social worker in a suit who kept tabs on the family. He sensed Nani wasn’t handling being a “mother” well. In time, he helped the family out when Jumba and the federation’s Agent Pleakley tried to kidnap Stitch. Cobra ended up staying with the family, revealing he was a former CIA agent who met aliens such as Pleakley’s boss, the Grand Councilwoman, decades ago at Roswell.

This new version of Bubbles is seen in civilian clothing, which hints he is a social worker. However, he is spotted in his signature Men in Black-style suit as well. He even radios in what appears to be CIA contacts and affirms they need to pursue Stitch. It may be that this reboot is actually using Bubbles’ social worker job as an undercover project.

He could be on the island chasing extraterrestrial activity, which would put him in direct conflict with the Pelekais and the rivals wanting Stitch to take back to the federation. It’s a concept sci-fi fans took to with the Resident Alien TV show and the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action films. This approach would feel more organic than the plot convenience in the original narrative.

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The original had the Grand Councilwoman sending Jumba to Earth to nab his creation in exchange for freedom. Pleakley accompanied, because he knew all the rules and regulations. Earth was said to have had special mosquitoes that couldn’t be killed. Pleakley was an environmentalist and activist meant to ensure the mosquitoes and humans weren’t harmed. Coincidentally, Bubbles told the aliens this lie to get them to pass rules to protect the planet.

The thing is, when the duo went hunting Stitch, they didn’t disguise themselves well. They just wore human clothing, creating many comedic scenes where humans were confused by their looks. The new movie is going to add nuance to this infiltration job. Jumba and Pleakley can be seen in a portal wearing human disguises. That’s right: tech will allow them to shape-shift to blend in as spies as they chase their prized asset.

It’s a clever way of saving the CGI-budget, while allowing the duo to assimilate more into society and trick everyone, including the target. This way, they’d see Stitch isn’t just a prisoner, but a lonely figure who wants to find his own destiny and tribe. That would place context for why they switch sides and help Lilo’s posse when the other galactic agents come to Earth. Notably, the federation’s military general, Captain Gantu, isn’t seen in the trailer, but enthusiasts are hoping he’s being hidden as the secret foil for the finale.

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Make no mistake, while changes are being made and the property updated for modern audiences, the trailer has many Easter eggs, homages and tributes to the original. The federation’s vessel, their boss shouting orders, Stitch in his glass cell and jumpsuit, Stitch licking the glass, Stitch stealing a red ship and the ensuing cosmic chase all open the trailer to show it is staying true to what is regarded widely as one of the best animated movies ever.

There are other deep cuts, such as Stitch’s feral mannerisms, the green smoke when he crashes, how he behaves in the booster seat in public, David questioning if he’s a dog, and the Pelekais surfing to create bonding moments.

Lilo is seen dancing; a passion of hers, although it looks like she’s being bullied here rather than in the original when she was the aggressor. Fans also witness the iconic ice cream man dropping his dessert, as well as the adoption posters that were in the original. Clearly, the creative team doesn’t want to lose the magic of yesteryear. Disney is hoping the live-action Snow White will hit the right notes and set fans up to bask in the glow of Lilo & Stitch.

Who Is In 2025’s Lilo & Stitch?

Dean Fleischer Camp Has Directed the Remake

Dean Fleischer Camp, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind the animated feature film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, directs from a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright. Chris Sanders, who wrote and directed the animated movie, returns as the voice of Stitch in the live-action remake. He previously voiced the character in all animated Lilo & Stitch media, except for the Stitch! anime.

Maia Kealoha makes her feature-length acting debut as Lilo. The rest of the cast includes Kaipo Dudoit as David and Hannah Waddingham as the voice of The Grand Councilwoman. Zach Galifianakis plays Jumba, Billy Magnussen plays Pleakley, and Courtney B. Vance takes on the role of Bubbles. Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee, who voiced Nani, Mrs. Hasagawa, and David in the original film, respectively, will also appear in the live-action take, albeit in different roles.

Carrere will play Mrs. Kekoa, a social worker who checks in on Nani. It hints that Nani searching for a job and trying to balance work and school will be played up more. Hill will play Tūtū, a neighbor and David’s grandmother, who is worried about the ladies. This adds a sense of community and makes David closer to Nani.

This will allow their crush to be fleshed out more than him just being a friend in town. Lastly, Lee will voice a lūʻau manager, making the flick authentic to Hawaiian culture at a time when Disney hit it big again with last year’s Moana 2. Ultimately, the trailer proves this film is in good hands, especially for cinemagoers who want more representation, visibility, diversity, inclusivity and stories of color.

Lilo & Stitch hits theaters May 23.

Lilo & Stitch

Release Date

May 21, 2025

Director

Dean Fleischer Camp

Writers

Chris Kekaniokalani Bright

Producers

Tom C. Peitzman, Dan Lin, Ryan Halprin

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  Chris Sanders

  Stitch (voice)

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  Billy Magnussen

  Pleakley (voice)

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