The original creator and voice of Stitch is all set to go behind the camera. Chris Sanders, who co-created, co-wrote, and co-directed the original Lilo & Stitch, is now set to direct Disney’s sequel to its live-action Lilo & Stitch megahit. Last year, Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch delivered the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening in box office history with $183 million and went on to become Hollywood’s first billion-dollar film of the year.
Dean Fleischer Camp directed the film, which was initially developed as a Disney+ release before plans changed and the project was given a theatrical release. Disney officially announced that a sequel was in development on June 26 last year, a reference to Stitch’s government designation, Experiment 626. Chris Sanders is also attached to write the screenplay for the sequel, with Jonathan Eirich returning as producer. Sanders is an Academy Award-nominated director, writer, animator, and voice actor best known as the voice behind the iconic character Stitch.
He is also a highly respected figure in the animation industry. Sanders co-wrote and co-directed the original Lilo & Stitch with Dean DeBlois, and the pair later collaborated on the first How to Train Your Dragon. Sanders also co-wrote and co-directed The Croods with Kirk DeMicco and later directed The Wild Robot, DreamWorks Animation’s 2024 adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestselling novel. The film won nine Annie Awards and earned three Academy Award nominations. Sanders is currently developing its sequel, The Wild Robot Escapes.
However, Sanders’ history with Disney stretches back to 1987, when he was first hired to work in the studio’s visual development department. Before Lilo & Stitch, he worked as a writer and story artist on Disney classics such as The Lion King and Mulan. Lilo & Stitch centers on a lonely Hawaiian girl who befriends a blue creature that turns out to be an escaped alien genetically engineered to be a weapon of mass destruction.
The project has already received a major release update from Disney. Earlier this year, the studio officially dated Lilo & Stitch 2 for May 26, 2028, placing it alongside Pixar’s Incredibles 3 as part of Disney’s summer 2028 theatrical slate. The announcement reinforced the studio’s confidence in the franchise following the live-action film’s record-breaking box office run. Readers can learn more about Disney’s release plans in our report on Incredibles 3 and Lilo & Stitch 2 securing summer 2028 release dates.
The original animated film produced some of Disney’s most memorable lines, including, “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind.” The movie was later followed by two direct-to-video sequels, Stitch! The Movie and Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, as well as Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Disney later rebooted the property with the live-action feature, which became a massive box office success. Driven by family audiences and Gen Z viewers who grew up with the original film, the movie crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, including $423.7 million from the domestic market.
The upcoming sequel Lilo & Stitch megahit is expected to tell a brand-new story within the Lilo & Stitch universe. Fans of the franchise are particularly interested in Sanders’ return as director given his deep connection to the property and his long history as the voice of Stitch. With Disney moving forward on a new chapter of the beloved franchise, audiences are now waiting for further updates regarding the story, cast, and release plans.
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