Aloha, ‘ohana! It looks like everyone’s favorite mischievous little blue alien is preparing to return to the world of animation, and this time he might have finally met his match!
For more than two decades, Lilo & Stitch has remained one of Disney’s most beloved animated stories, introducing generations of audiences to the unforgettable friendship between a young Hawaiian girl and an extraordinary alien who found something he never knew he needed: a family. And while Stitch has certainly caused his fair share of trouble over the years, his next adventure is preparing to introduce someone who might just give Experiment 626 a run for his money.
Walt Disney Animation Studios is officially bringing Lilo and Stitch back to the big screen with Lilo & Scratch, an all-new animated short that will play ahead of the studio’s upcoming animated feature Hexed. Bringing audiences back into the world of the beloved franchise, the new story will see Lilo welcoming a mysterious new member into their ‘ohana, and for Stitch, that means taking on a responsibility he might not be quite prepared for.
The newest addition to the family is Scratch, a mischievous cat who seems to have a talent for getting into trouble. When Lilo heads out to run some errands, Stitch finds himself responsible for looking after the family’s newest member. But with Scratch leaving a trail of chaos and destruction wherever he goes, the usually troublemaking alien is about to discover what it feels like to be on the other side of someone else’s mischief.
And while the upcoming short is already promising plenty of the humor and heart that have made Lilo & Stitch such an enduring part of Disney’s animated legacy, the project is also bringing together a talented creative team to help bring this new adventure to life.
Disney has announced that composers Haim Mazar and Grace Fisher will be creating the musical score for Lilo & Scratch, bringing together the sounds of a nine-piece Hawaiian ensemble with a 70-piece symphony orchestra conducted by Mazar. The pair have also developed an original musical theme for the characters, designed to work across both musical styles while capturing the personality and spirit of the story.
For Fisher, the project marks a particularly meaningful milestone in her career. A lifelong musician who studied piano, cello and guitar, Fisher developed Acute Flaccid Myelitis at the age of 17, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. Through adaptive technology, she found new ways to continue creating music, developing her skills as a composer while also becoming an advocate for accessibility and inclusion in the arts.
Now, her work will become part of Disney’s animated storytelling legacy, alongside Mazar, whose recent projects include composing and conducting the score for the Walt Disney Animation Studios short Versa.
And with the music of Lilo & Stitch having always played such an important role in bringing the beauty and spirit of Hawaii into the franchise, the combination of a Hawaiian ensemble and full symphony orchestra offers an exciting opportunity to bring that familiar atmosphere into an entirely new story.
Behind the scenes, Lilo & Scratch is being written and directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Malcon Pierce, bringing together creative talent whose previous Disney projects include Wish and Versa. Nathan Curtis, whose credits include Zootopia+, is producing the short, with Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jared Bush serving as executive producer.
For longtime fans, the return of Lilo and Stitch to animation is especially exciting. While the franchise has continued to find new audiences through its many adventures and adaptations, there is something particularly special about seeing these characters return to the medium that first brought their story to life.
And with a new member of the family preparing to turn Stitch’s world upside down, it looks like the little blue alien is about to learn another important lesson about what it means to be part of an ‘ohana. After all, family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten, even when that family member happens to be a particularly troublesome cat!
Lilo & Scratch will debut in theaters ahead of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming animated feature Hexed. Additional details surrounding the short’s release have yet to be announced.