Disney’s live-actionLilo & Stitchremake is quickly becoming one of the company’s most successful recent offerings, completely flipping the narrative after their disastrous attempt at remakingSnow Whiteand giving the company one of the absolute biggest hits of the entire year.
The movie was so successful that aLilo & Stitchsequel has already been announced, only about a month after the release of the first movie. There were several animated sequel projects, ranging from movies to TV shows, so this development isn’t entirely surprising. However, the fact that it came so soon was a bit of a shock.
However, there are some caveats to this announcement.It could fall victim to a problem thatseveral other high-profile Disney live-action remakeannouncements have faced in recent years, especially since this type of movie has become increasingly common.
While there areplenty of reasons for fans ofLilo & Stitch, which has been scored as one of the best live-action remakes by audiences, to be excited, this news could very well backfire, as the movie could very easily not be released at all.
Disney Has A History Of Announcing Live-Action Sequels & Spinoffs That Languish In Development
Some Sequels Happen, But Just As Many Don’t
To those not following Disney’s announcements very closely, this could come as a shock, considering just how many of these films have come out. However,there is a surprisingly long list of live-action remake sequels and spin-offs that are announcedand then don’t seem to go anywhere.
One of Disney’s most successful live-action remakes, 2019’sAladdin, had both a sequel and a Disney+ spin-off movie focused on the character of Prince Anders announced. But as of now, both of those projects, even the fullAladdinsequel, seem to be dead in the water.
$916 million
$205 million
$569 million
$233 million (Disney+ release)
Mulan
$69 million (Disney+ Release
There have been a number of other projects in a similar vein that have been announced before going darkfor years, such asCruella 2, which Emma Stone was officially confirmed to be a part of. However, nothing new has come of that announcement in the four years since the initial reveal.
A Gaston and LeFou limited series spinning off 2017’sBeauty and the Beastwas also in the works for Disney+ at one point. That one actually had quite an impressive cast, before being put on hold indefinitely due to scheduling and creative issues, and now seems to have been scrapped entirely.
Lilo & Stitch 2 Needs To Happen For Disney’s Sake
Lilo & Stitch Has Been A Massive Success, And A Sequel Could Be Even Bigger
Even thoughLilo & Stitchwas a huge success for the company, they also had a similar level of success with movies likeAladdinandBeauty and the Beast, and Disney failed to build on those projects in any meaningful way, certainly leaving plenty of money on the table.
However, the studio is quickly running out of classic films to adapt, and, thanks toSnow White, the company knows that live-action remakes aren’t guaranteed money anymore.
The reasoning behind this lack of continuations could make sense, asDisney would likely rather play it safe by telling a story they know people already love, rather than trying to do something new with the world and characters, which could be a bigger risk.
However, the studio is quickly running out of classic films to adapt, and, thanks toSnow White, the company knows that live-action remakes are not guaranteed money anymore.Lilo & Stitch 2could continue the momentum the first film had, delivering another hit for the company as some of their biggest brands, like Marvel and Pixar, are starting to falter.
Lilo & Stitch 2 Is Already In A Good Position
Disney Needs To Keep The Ball Rolling Now
InLilo & Stitch2’s case,being announced only a month after the first film’s theatrical release is a good signthat Disney is actually motivated to get this project out the door as soon as they can. Movies take a while to get made, but if Disney actually puts in the effort,Lilo & Stitch 2could easily be released within the next few years.
There is also the fact that theLilo & Stitchfranchisehas a lot of extra material to mine from. With multiple sequels and shows that, while not as iconic as the original movie, have plenty of fans, and ideas that would work very well as the inspiration for a live-action sequel.
Disney has yet to reveal any actual information about the film, as the teaser trailer was more of a meta joke about the production. The fact that so much effort went into that teaser is also a good sign that Disney is going to capitalize on this opportunity and make theLilo & Stitchsequel a worthy continuation of the series.
