Following the long-awaited release of Snow White (2025), Disney is shifting its attention to the next live-action feature in its pipeline: Lilo & Stitch (2025). The upcoming remake is helmed by Marcel the Shell with Shoes On director Dean Fleischer Camp and is slated for a theatrical debut on May 23, 2025. Based on the 2002 animated favorite, the film stars newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lilo and original Stitch voice actor Chris Sanders reprising his role as the mischievous blue alien.
Joining the cast are Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani, Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, Billy Magnussen as Agent Pleakley, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham as the Grand Councilwoman. Initially slated for Disney+, Lilo & Stitch followed a similar trajectory to Moana 2 (2024) by making the jump to a theatrical release mid-production. That change was confirmed in August 2024 and has since triggered a full-scale marketing rollout that, some argue, is more cohesive than what accompanied the release of Disney’s Snow White.
From a splashy Super Bowl LIX TV spot to creative poster drops featuring Stitch playfully invading classic Disney artwork like Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1992), Disney has made it clear that Stitch is front and center heading into summer 2025. A new piece of the puzzle recently emerged with the film’s official rating. According to Film Ratings, the movie has received a PG classification for “action, peril, and thematic elements.” This closely matches the original animated film’s PG rating for “mild sci-fi action.”
Now, just weeks before its release, Lilo & Stitch will officially bury Snow White. According to Deadline, Lilo & Stitch is tracking to deliver over $100 million domestically during its opening over Memorial Day weekend. “Six weekend-in-advance tracking has hit for both movies on Quorum, with Lilo & Stitch eyeing a $100M+ 3-day opening and [Mission: Impossible 8] eyeing a record 3-day for the franchise, well north of 2018’s Mission: Impossible–Fallout‘s $61M.”
Interestingly, Lilo & Stitch‘s Quorum data proves Experiment 626 may be even more popular than Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts (2025) movie, which launches on the big screen on May 2. “Overall total awareness for Lilo & Stitch (62) and M: I 8 (59) outstrip that of Thunderbolts (37). Among those who’ll watch these movies in theater versus home, both Lilo and M: I 8 at 50 apiece are ahead of the MCU movie about ragtag heroes at 42,” Deadline reports. “The 3-day projection makes sense for Lilo & Stitch since it’s Disney’s second most-viewed live-action trailer at 158M.”
The forecast comes in the wake of Snow White’s disappointing box office performance. Despite a production led by director Marc Webb and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson, and four years of headlines surrounding casting decisions and major plot reworkings—including changes to the prince and the seven dwarfs—the film struggled to gain traction. The reimagining of Disney’s first feature-length animated film managed just $43 million domestically in its opening weekend, with a worldwide total of $87 million.
Now, almost a month on, the live-action remake—which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot as Snow White and the Evil Queen, respectively—sits at just $182 million, with $82 million domestically and $100 million from international markets (per Box Office Mojo). Reports estimate its budget to be between the $270-300 million mark, making the lackluster reception especially painful for the studio, which also recently had a mediocre box office performance from Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World (2025). Adding to the uphill climb is a lukewarm critical response, with a 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With that in mind, all eyes are now on Lilo & Stitch to turn the tide. However, it seems that Lilo & Stitch, regardless of its performance in theaters, may be the last remake Disney puts out. Not long after things regarding Snow White‘s performance became clear, Disney reportedly pulled the plug on Michael Gracey’s upcoming Tangled (2010) remake. While no casting had been made public, production was obviously ramping up.
Will this be a signal as to how Disney may manage its future projects? How do you feel about the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch? Can it outperform Snow White at the box office? Let us know in the comments down below!
