Lilo & Stitch co-creator Chris Sanders, who also voices Stitch, will direct the upcoming live-action sequel.
Last year, Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch had the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening in history ($183 million), making it Hollywood’s first film to gross $1 billion this year. The film, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, was originally scheduled to be streamed on Disney+, but a fortuitous change of circumstances meant it will now be released in theaters in 2024. Last June, Disney announced on June 26 that a sequel to the PG adventure was in development, named after the Wild Blue Alien’s government name, Experiment 626. Sanders also wrote the script for the sequel, with Jonathan Eyrich returning as producer.
Sanders is an Academy Award-nominated director, screenwriter, animator and voice actor, best known for producing and voicing Stitch and co-directing the original animated films 2002’s Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods. His first solo directorial effort was The Call of the Wild, starring Harrison Ford, and he most recently directed the Oscar-nominated animated film The Wild Robot for DreamWorks.
But Mr. Sanders’ history with Disney dates back to 1987, when he was hired to work in the visual development department. Before “Lilo & Stitch,” he worked as a screenwriter and story artist on Disney classics such as “The Lion King” and “Mulan.”
The Hollywood Reporter first reported Sanders’ role as sole director. He is repped by WME and Richter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Rogal, Sikora & Clark.
