With Snow White (2025) now in theaters, Disney is turning its attention to the next live-action adaptation on its slate: Lilo & Stitch (2025).
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), the film is set to premiere in theaters on May 23, 2025. This marks a significant shift from its original Disney+ release plan—Lilo & Stitch was initially developed as a streaming exclusive but, like Moana 2 (2024), was upgraded to a theatrical run in August 2024. Since then, Disney has leaned into an aggressive marketing push, rolling out activations tied to Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) and launching a nostalgic poster campaign featuring Stitch playfully inserted into classic Disney animation posters like Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1992).
The film stars newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai and Chris Sanders reprising his role as the voice of Stitch. Rounding out the cast are Sydney Elizabeth Agudong as Nani Pelekai, Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, Billy Magnussen as Agent Peakley, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and Hannah Waddingham as the Grand Councilwoman.
Now, as anticipation builds, Lilo & Stitch has officially received its theatrical rating. According to Film Ratings, the movie has been given a PG rating for “action, peril, and thematic elements,” aligning with the original 2002 animated film’s PG rating for “mild sci-fi action.”
The rating news comes on the heels of Disney’s Snow White release, a project that has struggled to find its footing. Directed by Marc Webb and written by Erin Cressida Wilson, Snow White was plagued by controversy long before its debut, particularly surrounding casting choices and major changes to the classic fairy tale. The backlash appears to have impacted its box office performance—Snow White opened to a lackluster $43 million domestically, with a global total of $87 million so far. Given its reported budget of nearly $300 million, the numbers paint a challenging picture for Disney’s latest live-action gamble.
With Snow White struggling, the pressure is on for Lilo & Stitch to deliver. Can the Hawaii-set adventure capture audiences in a way Snow White failed to?
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Lilo & Stitch adaptation? Do you think it will fare better than Snow White at the box office? Let us know in the comments!
