Disney Hands Lilo & Stitch 2 to the Man Who Invented the Character in 1981

Disney has tapped Chris Sanders, the man who created Stitch, to direct the sequel to last year’s billion-dollar live-action remake — handing control of the franchise back to the person who invented it.

Sanders is an Academy Award–nominated director, writer, animator, and voice actor who co-directed the 2002 animated original and has voiced the character in every version of the film since. He was already deeply involved in the sequel as its screenwriter, and production is now set to begin later this year.

The move represents a significant creative pivot for the sequel. Dean Fleischer Camp directed the 2025 remake, and Sanders was originally brought on only as a writer — his first direct creative involvement with the franchise since the 2002 film, beyond supplying Stitch’s voice. Sanders first created the character in 1981.

The sequelc follows a remarkable commercial performance by the first film. Originally developed as a direct-to-streaming title for Disney+, the live-action remake was given a theatrical release in 2024 and opened to a record $183 million on Memorial Day weekend. After eight weekends in theaters, it crossed $1 billion worldwide — the first Hollywood release of 2025 to do so.

The sequel is confirmed to be an original story, not a remake of the direct-to-video Stitch Has a Glitch. It carries the working title Lilo & Stitch 2 and is scheduled for release on May 26, 2028. Jonathan Eirich, who produced the remake, returns as producer via Rideback, with Ryan Halprin executive producing.

Sanders brings a track record of franchise-launching animated films. His credits include co-directing How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods, and he most recently directed the Oscar-nominated The Wild Robot for DreamWorks. His elevation from writer to director on the sequel suggests Disney’s confidence that the franchise’s original architect can sustain its momentum — and that building a new story from scratch requires someone fluent in the mythology from the beginning.

The sequel has been in development since June 2025, when Disney announced it on “626 Day” — a fan-designated date referencing Stitch’s designation as Experiment 626.