When does 'Lilo and Stitch' 2 release? Disney finally drops release date for live-action animated sequel
More good news comes after Pixar revealed the release date for 'Incredibles 3.' Now, Lilo and her mischievous blue alien friend, Stitch, will set off on another adventure in 'Lilo and Stitch 2' in 2028. Following the box office success of 'Lilo & Stitch' in May 2025, Disney greenlit the sequel, 'Lilo & Stitch 2', within a month. The studio has announced that the franchise's second instalment will land in theaters on May 26, 2028.
The live-action/animated film is inspired by the 2002 animated film of the same name, which was co-written and co-directed by Chris Sanders. He was not involved in the 2025 movie beyond voicing Stitch, but he will write the screenplay for the sequel. Furthermore, it's unclear whether Dean Fleischer Camp, director of the first film, will also direct the second instalment. In addition to the release date, Disney also shared the movie's logo.
'Lilo & Stitch' caused a storm when it was released during last year's Memorial Day weekend. The live-action remake earned $182 million over four days, setting a holiday opening record and surpassing 'Top Gun: Maverick's record of $160.5 million in 2023. It earned $423.8 million in the United States and Canada and $614.2 million overseas, bringing its total to $1.038 billion. It also became the first movie of 2025 to cross the billion-dollar mark and joins 'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' and 'Zootopia 2' as one of the few billion-dollar movies from last year.
No word on the plot details yet, but the creators have plenty of source material to consider, as the direct-to-video film releases like 'Stitch! The Movie' and 'Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch.' Last year's film also included several Easter eggs, related to Jumba's experiments, that can be explored in the next instalment. The ending of 'Lilo & Stitch' divided fans as Nani left the titular characters behind to study marine biology in college, marking a big change from the original animated film. Furthermore, the 2025 remake replaced the original villain, Captain Gantu, with Dr. Jumba. Also, Lilo is seven years old in the animated films and series, but the child actor Keoloha is currently nine years old. With the film's release still two years away, the makers will have to accommodate her growing age while plotting the script.
Fans can expect most of the cast to return to Hawaii, the tropical paradise. Maia Kealoha played the orphaned girl Lilo Pelekai; Sydney Elizebeth Agudong starred as her older sister and guardian, Nani Pelekai; Courtney B. Vance played the CIA agent Cobra Bubbles, etc. Moreover, the film's voice cast included Billy Magnussen as Agent Wendell Pleakley, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and Chris Sanders as Stitch, among others.
