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Credit: DisneyAudiences cannot get enough of Experiment 626.
Disney’s Lilo & Stitch first hit theaters in 2002, quickly becoming a fan favorite thanks to its heartfelt story, quirky characters, and unique Hawaiian setting. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the hand-drawn animated film follows Lilo, a lonely girl who adopts Stitch, an alien experiment disguised as a dog.
Together, they discover the true meaning of family through the Hawaiian concept of “ʻohana.” With its emotional core, Elvis-filled soundtrack, and unconventional style, the film became a breakout success, spawning sequels and a TV series.
23 years later, Disney reimagined the story with a live-action/CG hybrid directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). Newcomer Maia Kealoha stars as Lilo, joined by Zach Galifianakis as Pleakley, Billy Magnussen, and Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles. Chris Sanders returned to voice Stitch. While staying close to the original plot, the remake sparked conversation around its casting, cultural representation, and changes to the end of the original story as Disney looks to bring a beloved classic to a new generation.
What was first meant to be a movie for Disney+, the House of Mouse pivoted to a theatrical release for the movie following the success of Moana 2 (2024), which was also initially intended to be a streaming project. Moana 2 went on to cross the billion-dollar mark, and it seems that Lilo & Stitch will also soon crest that wave.
Lilo & Stitch currently sits at $957 million globally, surpassing the $954 million haul of Warner Bros.’s A Minecraft Movie (2025). Due to its success at the box office, as well as the continued profitability of the Stitch character across all Disney assets, a sequel to the film was announced in late June.
As Deadline noted, Lilo & Stitch is an evergreen franchise for The Walt Disney Company.
“The Lilo & Stitch franchise in series and the original pic has driven over 579 million hours on Disney+ around the globe,” the outlet reported. “The original Lilo & Stitch has accounted for more than 306M hours of viewing on the OTT service. Disney+ global. Retail sales for Stitch have grown from $0.2B in 2019 to $2.6B in 2024, representing a ten-fold increase.”
Lilo & Stitch Goes Big on Streaming
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 2002 animated version of the beloved movie has hit the Top 10 on Nielsen’s streaming charts. For the early June period of June 2 through June 8, Lilo & Stitch was the tenth most-watched movie on streaming, with 236,000 minutes viewed.
The Disney movie came behind films like Amazon Prime’s The Accountant 2 (2025), Disney and Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and last year’s big animated hit, The Wild Robot (2024).
“The original animated film, Lilo & Stitch, continues to get a boost in viewership following the release of the new live-action version, highlighting the benefit of the large back catalog of titles available on Disney+,” What’s On Disney Plus wrote in its round-up.
While no date has been announced for the live-action Lilo & Stitch‘s debut on Disney+, it can be expected sometime in late August or early September. Judging by previous streaming release trends for theatrical movies, it can be safely assumed that when 626 does hit the streamer, it will immediately top the charts, especially if box-office flop Disney’s Snow White (2025) can reach the accolade after its turbulent production process.
How do you feel about the live-action Lilo & Stitch? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!