Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch^[c] is a 2002 American animated science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures.^[3][4] It was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois in their directorial debuts, and produced by Clark Spencer, based on an original story created by Sanders. It stars Daveigh Chase and Sanders as the voices of the title characters, respectively, with the voices of Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, and Kevin Michael Richardson in supporting roles. It was the second of three Disney animated feature films produced primarily at the Florida animation studio in Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.^[5][d]

The film tells the story of two individuals - an orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her struggling older sister, Nani, after their parents' deaths, and the genetically engineered extraterrestrial creature Experiment 626, whom Lilo adopts as her "dog" and renames "Stitch". Stitch, who was designed to cause chaos and destruction, initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by an intergalactic federation. They develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ʻohana, or extended family, causing Stitch to reconsider his intended destructive purpose, to keep his newfound family together.

The film is based on an idea by Sanders, who originally conceived Stitch in 1985, and the film's design and aesthetics are based on his personal art style. Stitch was initially at the center of a children's book Sanders had conceptualized, but later abandoned. A feature-length film starring the character entered development in 1997 when Thomas Schumacher, then the president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, approached Sanders with the objective of producing "the Dumbo for our generation." The use of watercolor backgrounds hearkened back to early Disney productions such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The film and its accompanying soundtrack made extensive use of the music of Elvis Presley, while Alan Silvestri composed the film's score.

Lilo & Stitch premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 16, 2002, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 21. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, humor, charm, and originality. Produced on an $80 million budget and promoted with a marketing campaign that played up its oddities, it was a box-office success, grossing over $273 million worldwide. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, but lost to Spirited Away.^[6][7] The film's success made it a highlight of Disney's post-animation renaissance era in the 2000s, spawning a franchise that includes three direct-to-video film sequels, three television series, and a live-action adaptation that was released in 2025.

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