The original voice of Stitch will now direct him on the big screen. Chris Sanders, the co-creator of the animated classic who has voiced the alien character since 2002, is set to direct the live-action sequel to last year's massive Disney hit, according to Variety.
The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Sanders also penned the screenplay for the sequel, with Jonathan Eirich returning as producer.
The original live-action remake, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, had an unusual path to theaters. It was originally intended to stream on Disney+, but the decision was made in 2024 to give it a theatrical release instead. That turned out to be a significant call. The film delivered the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening in box office history, pulling in $183 million, and went on to become Hollywood's first billion-dollar-grossing movie of 2025.
Disney announced the sequel was in development last June, choosing the date 6/26 as a nod to the character's government designation, Experiment 626.
Sanders brings a deep history with both Disney and the project itself. He has worked at the studio since 1987, when he was hired by its visual development department. Before creating Lilo and Stitch, he worked as a writer and story artist on The Lion King and Mulan. As a director, he co-directed the original 2002 animated Lilo and Stitch as well as How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods.
His solo directorial debut was The Call of the Wild, starring Harrison Ford. Most recently, he directed The Wild Robot for DreamWorks, which received an Academy Award nomination. Sanders himself is an Academy Award-nominated director, writer, animator, and voice actor.
No release date for the sequel has been announced.
