Disney continues to commit to live-action adaptations, and on Thursday, a Lion King-laced Lilo and Stitch teaser launched revealing a release date.
Continuing the trend of adapting animated films in its catalogue, Disney has taken to the internet today to launch a new teaser for its latest upcoming live-action animation adaptation, Lilo and Stitch. Although the prequel adaptation Mufasa: The Lion King hasn’t landed in theaters yet, Disney has chosen to strike while the iron is hot and continue to announce adaptations rapidly. The Lilo and Stitch teaser was revealed from the official Walt Disney Studios X (formerly Twitter) account featuring a reference to the upcoming The Lion King prequel, and it can be seen below.
Lilo and Stitch is a live-action imagining of the 2002 animated hit film, and is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), and stars Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis. Producers include Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin, with Tom Peitzman and Ryan Halprin serving as executive producers.
The Lilo & Stitch teaser pays homage to the original teaser for the animated film, but instead of Rafiki from The Lion King holding the small blue alien, human arms are shown holding Stitch aloft after animals are seen running through fields. This time, Stitch is wearing a pool floatie, and his four extra arms remain hidden. Notably, Timon is absent from the trailer, so there’s no exclamation of “Hey, that isn’t Simba!”
The live-action Lilo and Stitch is set to land in theaters on May 23, 2025. In the meantime, fans can check out the CGMagazine coverage of the prequel Mufasa: The Lion King, or coverage on the 2019 reimagining of the animated original here.
