Inside the Making of Stitch from Lilo & Stitch

From the original animated film to the live action reimagining

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch introduced the world to Stitch, the beloved little blue alien that has since appeared in animated sequels, a TV series, and the 2025 live-action film. Also known as experiment 626, Stitch has become a global phenomenon, with fans celebrating the rambunctious character every year on June 26th (known as “626 Day”).

From an iconic animated film to the live action adaptation that smashed industry expectations, Stitch has become one of The Walt Disney Company’s fastest-growing franchises. 

Animating Stitch: The Creative Process Behind Disney’s Iconic Character

“He’s incredibly unpredictable,” Alex Kuperschmidt, lead animator on Stitch, said. “He’s designed to look… almost like a stuffed toy, but he moves more like a lizard, which is to say very quick and very unexpected.”

Stitch’s rounded features and big eyes are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse, but the similarities don’t stop there.

“They both are these characters that do have a mischievous side to them,” Clark Spencer, President, Walt Disney Animation Studios and producer of the original animated film, said.

That troublemaker spirit paired with a hidden sweetness is a big reason why audiences have come to embrace him.

David Greenbaum, President of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, added: “Stitch is an example of what Disney actually does best.”

When the team behind the live action reimagining began to look into the idea of bringing the beloved character into the real world, they knew they had to do so in an authentic and engaging way.

From Hand-Drawn to Live Action

The live action Lilo & Stitch, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and produced by Jonathon Eirich, adapts the iconic animated tale, but isn’t a “one-to-one translation,” Fleischer Camp shared. “It was always our goal to make something that rhymed spiritually with the original film but was a little modernized.”

Taking what began as a traditional, hand-drawn animation and bringing it to a new medium brought about unique challenges for the team.

“We were very clear-eyed about the fact that animation and live action are two completely different mediums,” Fleischer Camp explained. “There are things you can do well in live action that you can’t in animation, and vice versa.”

To bring this story and its characters into a contemporary setting, the filmmakers collaborated with key creatives from the original animated classic, including director and voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders.

“We could not possibly have made this movie without the people who made the original,” Fleischer Camp said. Contributions from Sanders, Kuperschmidt, and animator supervisor Eric Guaglione were invaluable in bridging the two versions.

“I could not have predicted that Stitch would be embraced by people the way he has,” Sanders reflected.

Stitch in the Spotlight

Stitch’s presence has extended far beyond the screen, from an appearance at Disney’s 2025 Upfront presentation to a Super Bowl spot that racked up over 170 million views in just 24 hours. 

The premiere event for the live-action film was a spectacle in itself, with Stitch rolling down the blue carpet to kick off what became the largest 4-day Memorial Day weekend opening of all time domestically.

“The love for Lilo & Stitch continues to grow,” Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, said. “The goal with this new retelling was for audiences to be able to enjoy these characters on the big screen again and hopefully have just as much fun watching it as we had making it.”

Stitch spans across The Walt Disney Company: on-screen, bringing chaos to Disney Parks, and as a brand for Disney Consumer Products that’s grown 27-fold over the last five years.

Where to Watch Lilo & Stitch

You can find the original film, the 2003 sequel Stitch! The Movie, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, and all episodes of Lilo & Stitch: The Series streaming now on Disney+.