One year after Disney announced the live-action Lilo & Stitch sequel, the project has taken real shape. Chris Sanders is directing, a release date is locked, and cameras are expected to roll before the end of 2026.
Sanders Steps Behind the Camera
The biggest development came on June 12, when The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Chris Sanders will direct Lilo & Stitch 2. Sanders co-created, co-wrote, and co-directed the original 2002 animated film alongside Dean DeBlois, and he has voiced Stitch in every incarnation of the character since, including the 2025 live-action remake. He was already attached to the sequel as its screenwriter, so the promotion puts the franchise’s next chapter fully in the hands of the person who built it.
This marks the first time since the original film that Sanders is doing more than voicing Stitch on a Lilo & Stitch project. It also is not his live-action debut. Sanders directed The Call of the Wild in 2020, a production heavy on CGI animal work that should serve him well here, and most recently helmed The Wild Robot, which earned three Oscar nominations.
Dean Fleischer Camp, who directed the 2025 remake, is not returning for the sequel. Jonathan Eirich is back as producer through Rideback, with Ryan Halprin executive producing.
Release Date and Production Timeline
Disney set Lilo & Stitch 2 for theaters on May 26, 2028, announced back in March alongside the date for Incredibles 3. That puts the sequel in the same Memorial Day corridor where the first film opened to a record $183 million over the holiday weekend in 2025.
Filming is expected to begin later this year. No shooting locations have been confirmed, though a return to Hawaii seems likely given how central the setting is to the story. The 2025 film shot on Oahu, including Haleiwa, Waikiki, Makaha Beach, and Kualoa Ranch.
A Brand-New Story
The sequel will not adapt Stitch Has a Glitch, the 2005 direct-to-video follow-up. Instead, Sanders has written an original story, with plot details still under wraps.
That clean slate leaves room to address the first film’s most debated choice: the ending that sent Nani to college on the mainland while Lilo remained in Hawaii under Tutu’s care. Reuniting the sisters feels like a natural starting point for the next chapter.
No casting has been announced, though the core cast is expected to return. Star Maia Kealoha has publicly campaigned for new alien characters, specifically naming Angel, Stitch’s counterpart from the animated series, while Sydney Agudong has hinted that Nani and David’s romance will carry into the sequel.
Why Disney Is Moving Fast
The 2025 remake grossed $1.038 billion worldwide, finishing as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year and the first live-action and animated hybrid to cross the billion-dollar mark. Disney Live Action president David Greenbaum has called Lilo & Stitch one of the studio’s fastest-growing franchises, and the sequel’s quick turnaround reflects that confidence.
With Sanders writing and directing, a summer 2028 date on the calendar, and production ramping up, Lilo & Stitch 2 is one of the most closely watched projects on Disney’s live-action slate. Expect casting news to follow once filming gets underway.
Sources: Variety The Hollywood Reporter The Walt Disney Company KITV
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