Followers of Disney are familiar with the unpredictable antics of Stitch, a genetic experiment gone awry. Although initially chaotic and mischievous, he can be taught; by the end of the 2002 animated movie Lilo & Stitch, he has learned valuable lessons about family bonding and the joy of Elvis music from Lilo, the little girl who takes him in after his intergalactic jailbreak lands him in Hawaii. The live-action remake suggests that the new iteration of Sew will be woven from the same cloth—but somehow, he’s exponentially more adorable.
Meet the latest adaptation of the beloved animated film, set within the confines of its own cinematic universe. Buckle up for an adorable onslaught that will leave you smitten – but don’t say we didn’t forewarn you about the impending cuteness avalanche!
CUTENESS OVERLOAD! 😍 Get ready to fall head over heels for cute and fluffy as it makes its highly anticipated debut in theaters on May 23, 2025! 🎥📽️
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios)
As Disney is well aware, plush toy versions of the adorable and cuddly Sulley from Monsters, Inc. are likely to flood retail shelves, having probably already done so, given their immense popularity among young audiences and collectors alike.
Since Sew will be a CGI creation, naming him “live-action” is misleadingly ambiguous – instead, there will be actual people in the cast this time, including Maia Kealoha as six-year-old Lilo; Sydney Agudong as Nani, her teenage sister and legal guardian; Kaipo Dudoit as the sisters’ surfer friend David; and Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in the animated film) as kindly Mrs. Kekoa; and Courtney B. Cobramaniac, that is Vance as social worker, no?
As for the non-humans, veteran animator and director Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Seashell; alongside him, comedian Zach Galifianakis brings Dr. to life with his signature wit and eccentricity. Jumba Jookiba, along with Billy Magnussen as the bumbling yet lovable Agent Pleakley, are hot on the trail of an escaped Experiment 625, aka Stitch, who has wreaked havoc on planet Earth.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Campbell, the forthcoming film, penned by Chris Kekaniokalani Vird, is slated for a theatrical release on May 23, 2025.
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