Lilo & Stitch Is Disney's Best Live-Action Remake Yet (And Even Makes 1 Major Improvement to the Original)

Most Disney fans approach the studio’s endless stream of live-action remakes with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, why mess with a classic? That’s what many of these animated films are considered, and Lilo & Stitch is no different. The 2002 sci-fi comedy about a lonely, outcast little girl and the troublesome alien experiment she adopts as a “dog” after he crash lands on earth immediately resonated with fans of all ages.

While some of Disney’s live-action remakes may have best been left in the brainstorm stage, the 2025 Lilo & Stitch is not one of those. The heartfelt, visually astounding new movie pays tribute to and builds upon its predecessor, justifying its existence like no other Disney remake has before. In fact, it may even improve upon the original movie in some ways.

Lilo & Stitch Demonstrates Top-Tier Animation Technology

Animated Characters Blend Seamlessly With the Live-Action Actors

While Disney has used digital animation in its remakes before (The Lion King and Mufasa, for example), this is a whole other ball game. Stitch interacting with Lilo is quite literally the heart of the film, and their gradually deepening bond, which humanizes the destruction-oriented Stitch, is the entire crux of the story’s emotional arc. In other words, audiences need to believe they’re really seeing two creatures interact and become one another’s ohana to buy it.

The most famous early example of animation and live-action actors sharing the screen extensively is, of course, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The technology utilized in the 1988 movie was incredibly impressive at the time, and it’s a classic for a reason. However, what viewers experience in Lilo & Stitch is on another level entirely. This is top-notch technology. There isn’t a single moment where Stitch seems anything but real. That reported $100 million price tag to make this movie is well spent.

Besides Stitch, the movie also employs a fun plot device that allows Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis (who respectively voice bumbling earth-expert Pleakley and pompous scientist Jumba, the two aliens deployed to retrieve Experiment 626, aka Stitch, from earth) to appear in their actual forms for a significant portion of the film. The moments of “slippage,” where the characters briefly revert to their alien selves before regaining human form, are seamless and deployed to great comedic effect.

This trick of the plot also allows for some incredible physical comedy, particularly on the part of Magnussen. He’s incredibly enjoyable as the earnest (and slightly dumb) alien with a minor in Earth textiles, and a great foil to Jumba.

The Lilo & Stitch Cast Is Flawless Across the Board

Several Voice Actors From the Original Also Appear

While Magnussen is a highlight, the movie belongs to young Maia Kealoha, who makes her film debut as Lilo. Acting opposite an animated character who isn’t actually there is a wildly impressive debut for anyone, but particularly a 6-year-old.

Lilo is a heartbreaking character — an orphaned, friendless little girl who just wants to be accepted — and Kealoha nails every beat. The movie also leans heavily into Lilo’s bad behavior as a result of her trauma, and the central idea that people aren’t bad, they just do bad things sometimes — a lesson that Lilo imparts on Stitch. There’s a particular moment near the beginning where a hurt Lilo makes a bad decision and acts out. Kealoha shows every nuance of Lilo’s emotions, making her a character you immediately attach to and root for.

Beyond Kealoha, there isn’t a weak point in this lineup. Chris Sanders, the writer-director of the original Lilo & Stitch, infuses just as much heart into this version of Stitch as the animated original. Audiences are lucky that Sanders was asked back for this. Sanders came up with Stitch back in 1985, and it’s clear that the character has his heart.

Sanders isn’t the only returning cast member from the original either. Amy Hill gets a prominent role as Tutu, Lilo and Nani’s neighbor who becomes a vital part of their ohana. Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original movie, also gets a starring role as Mrs. Kekoa, the social worker tasked with ensuring Lilo’s safety in the beginning of the movie. (This character was invented for the new remake, effectively splitting off from Cobra Bubbles in the original.)

Speaking of Cobra Bubbles, the legendary Courtney B. Vance plays the part pretty straight but has some fun moments. He doesn’t show up until later in the movie thanks to the invention of Mrs. Kekoa, but the late inclusion is worth it — it gives Carrere an opportunity to be a meaningful part of the movie.

Jason Scott Lee, the original voice of Nani’s boyfriend David, also appears in a quick cameo. Unlike Hill and Carrere, he doesn’t have a major part, but it’s a fun little Easter egg for fans of the original movie.

Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, who plays Lilo’s sister Nani, is another standout. She gives a nuanced, heartbreaking performance as this teenager who is unexpectedly thrust into the role of parent. The remake pays special care to show how Nani’s own trauma — she lost her parents too, after all — has affected her and her relationship with Lilo. Nani’s characterization in the remake also ties into one of the new movie’s greatest strengths.

Lilo & Stitch Makes Some Significant Changes to the Original

Most of These Changes Actually Improve the Story

Nani is developed more in the remake than she was in the original Lilo & Stitch. She was a memorable character in that one, but there’s no doubt she was in a supporting role. Here, Nani is arguably the third lead alongside Lilo and Stitch. This story is as much about her as it is either of them.

It’s a careful line to toe — how much focus on Nani would be to the detriment of the two characters of the film’s title? — but the writers pull it off flawlessly. Giving more space for Nani’s expanded backstory, and making her struggle to care for Lilo while not neglecting herself a significant storyline, is for the better of the movie. It also leads to some of the best emotional beats, and ties together for a satisfying ending that’s different from the original.

Nani isn’t the only character who gets a tweak. It was already reported that Gantu wouldn’t be in the movie, much to the ire of some fans who wondered who the primary antagonist might be instead. Jumba takes on that role, and it’s quite enjoyable to see Galifianakis step into a villainous part.

It also effectively elevates Stitch’s story and makes the themes of family and parenting more resonant. Jumba, his creator, is for all intents and purposes Stitch’s only “family” before he finds Lilo. Jumba didn’t do much in the way of “parenting,” obviously — he only taught Stitch how to be bad.

This version of Lilo & Stitch won’t — and shouldn’t — replace the original movie, nor should it. Like all of the Disney classics, the 2002 movie is priority viewing. But this adaptation complements and deepens the story in a way that few, if any, Disney remakes have before, making for a heartfelt, funny, and enjoyable ride for kids and adults alike.

Lilo & Stitch is in theaters May 23.