‘Lilo & Stitch’, The First $1B+ Grossing Title YTD, Sets Disney+ Premiere Date
After becoming a sensation on Disney+ with its original 2002 movie and spinoff series, Lilo & Stitch will invade the Mouse House’s OTT service again with a premiere date of Wednesday, Sept. 3.
That reflects a massive 124-day theatrical window since the pic opened in cinemas on May 23.
The live-action take of the animated classic is the highest grossing MPA title of the year currently with $1.025 billion, and it’s the second highest grossing stateside with $421.2M.
Soon after the movie fired up this summer with a record Memorial Day weekend start of $182.6M at the domestic B.O., $341M global, Disney announced a sequel that’s currently in development.
As Deadline reported, Chris Sanders, who wrote and co-helmed the original 2002 animated movie, is returning to pen the live-action sequel. Sanders also plays the voice of Stitch in both the 2002 and 2025 update. No other casting announcements have been made yet.
The pic is directed by Oscar-nominated Dean Fleischer Camp and stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, while introducing Maia Kealoha.
Lilo & Stitch consumer products made an estimated $2.5 billion-plus, according to sources, and was one of 11 evergreen Disney franchises that surpassed $1 billion-plus in retail sales in 2024.
The entire Lilo & Stitch catalog on Disney+ has boomed significantly annually on the OTT service based on hours streamed. The franchise has driven 640 million hours on Disney+ around the globe, with the original movie clocking north of 280M hours viewed.
