A new animated Lilo & Stitch story is debuting alongside the new Walt Disney Studios‘ Hexed. Its theatrical release date was revealed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last Friday.
When is the new Lilo & Stitch short film being released?
Deadline reports the new movie titled Lilo & Scratch will play in theaters alongside Disney’s Hexed from November 25, 2026. This short features Lilo and Stitch with a rescued cat named Scratch.
At the film festival, Disney directors Jason Hand, Fawn Veerasunthorn, and Malcon Pierce introduced the short film with the opening scene. It follows Lilo, who introduces the Cat, named Scratch, and leaves the house. Stitch is left to deal with the new creature, who has more to it than its cute appearance.
The team also unveiled the film’s poster art, which shows Stitch running away from a cat and reveals the official title, replacing ‘Stitch’ with ‘Scratch’.
During this announcement, Veerasunthorn also reflected on how the original film made a “huge impact” on their artistic journey. The pitch for the short also drew outreach from many artists eager to be involved.
She added, “Not only did we assemble all the Lilo & Stitch fans at the studio, this group of animation nerds like us also got to work with the artists who actually worked on the original film. We have the incredible good fortune to work alongside the original supervising animator for Stitch, Mr. Alex Cooper Schmidt”.
Chris Sanders will reprise his role as the voice of Stitch. He had previously voiced the character in the 2002 movie and the 2025 live-action film. The new movie will also feature Maia Kealoha, who voiced Lilo, which was a massive hit during its theatrical run. According to The Numbers, it earned $1.04 billion, becoming the first Western film to cross the $1 billion mark in 2025.
Additionally, in June 2025, the live-action sequel was announced with a release date. Lilo & Stitch part 2 is slated to release on May 26, 2028.
