Disney executive shares a promising update onLilo & Stitch’s future following the 2025 live-action movie. The remake of Disney’s 2002 animated movie of the same name stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai. Coming to theaters on May 23, the movie sees the original director and writer, Chris Sanders, reprising his voice role as Stitch. Ahead of its release, theLilo & Stitchmovie has already gained positive first reviews.
In an interview withTheWall Street Journal, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman offered a positive update on the movie’s sequel potential. The executive shared that the company wasvery confident about the movie’s performance and was already thinking ahead about what could come next. Check out his comment below:
It feels like it’s going to work very well, and it’s the kind of property that lends itself to more.
What This Means For Lilo & Stitch
Disney Is Prepared For Lilo & Stitch’s Success
The original animated movie had a modest theatrical run in 2002, but since its arrival on Disney+, it has gained significant traction. According to the same article, the movie has 546 million hours of its total viewing time. The franchise’s retail sales grew $2.6 billion last year from where it was five years ago, makingLilo & Stitchone of Disney’s top 10 bestselling franchises,which took a big part in the company’s decision to add a live-action remake to its slate.
Originally planned as a family-friendly Memorial Day weekend alternative to Tom Cruise’s blockbusterMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, the movie’s box office estimation has shown the potential to surpass its competitor at the opening weekend box office.Lilo & Stitchis projected to earn more than $150 million in North Americaagainst its $100 production budget, while the box office projection forThe Final Reckoningis around $80 million. The remake has an estimated budget of $100 million, which means it will easily become a box-office success in just its first week.
Our Take On Lilo & Stitch’s Future
Lilo & Stitch Has Serious Sequel Potential
Disney has stocked up its retail stores with new lines of merchandise to prepare forLilo & Stitch’s release.Frozen 2opened to $127 million at the domestic box office after a $100 million to $140 million projection. This means that the new Disney remakemight be an even bigger success than theFrozensequel, so it makes sense why the company is already thinking ahead of time.
The 2025 live-action remake hasa high potential to become one of the most successful animated franchises, and given the fact that Disney has been making decisions regarding the franchise from a financial perspective, it’s very likely that the film will receive follow-up sequels.Lilo & Stitchhas also received positive reviewsfrom critics. Despite having made some big changes from the source material, the movie’s current Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 74% from 72 reviews.
