by | September 3, 2025September 3, 2025 12:46 pm EDT
When Disney first announced a live-action Lilo & Stitch, plenty of folks assumed this was headed straight to streaming. After all, not every animated remake Disney has rolled out in recent years has been a guaranteed box office juggernaut. But against expectations, Lilo & Stitch didn’t just find its audience; it bulldozed its way to the top of the 2025 box office. As of this summer, it’s the only film to cross the billion-dollar mark worldwide, a feat that cements its place as one of Disney’s most successful remakes.
Now the chaos-prone alien has officially crash-landed on Disney Plus. Starting September 3, subscribers can stream the live-action Lilo & Stitch from home, marking the next chapter in Disney’s ongoing remake experiment.
For those who missed its theatrical run, the film retells the story of Lilo, a lonely girl in Hawaii, who adopts what she thinks is a dog but is really a runaway alien experiment. Hijinks, heartbreak, and family bonding ensue, and yes, there’s still plenty of Elvis on the soundtrack. Disney’s synopsis highlights how Stitch helps mend Lilo’s broken family while wreaking havoc across the islands, delivering a blend of slapstick comedy and genuine heart.
What makes this release more than just another catalog addition is how it fits into Disney’s larger live-action remake track record. Over the past decade, we’ve seen billion-dollar wins like The Lion King and Aladdin, mid-tier performers like The Little Mermaid, and riskier bets like Mulan, which struggled in the pandemic landscape. Lilo & Stitch landing squarely in the “mega-hit” column was not inevitable. The original 2002 animated film was a cult favorite more than a cultural juggernaut, remembered fondly for its quirky humor and “ohana means family” mantra rather than massive box office numbers. The live-action update, however, managed to capture both nostalgia-driven parents and a new generation of kids who can’t resist a mischievous blue alien.
Streaming is where the second act of these remakes begins, and Disney Plus is the perfect stage. Disney has leaned on this strategy for years now: a theatrical run that proves the concept still works, followed by a streaming debut that drives subscriptions and keeps families engaged. Whether you’re revisiting the original animated Lilo & Stitch — also on Disney Plus — or jumping into this live-action reimagining for the first time, the house of mouse has engineered a one-two punch that ensures Stitch’s chaos keeps paying dividends.
Disney’s remake playbook has drawn its share of criticism, and not without reason. Not every animated gem needs a glossy live-action update. But when a film like Lilo & Stitch connects this strongly at the box office, it shows the formula still has legs. Stitch may be a chaos machine, but in Disney’s hands, that chaos translates into record-breaking ticket sales and now, millions of streams.
So gather your ohana, settle onto the couch, and fire up Disney Plus. Theaters may have seen Stitch at his most destructive, but now you can enjoy the intergalactic mayhem without anyone spilling popcorn on your lap.
