The early 2000s were pretty rough on the Disney Animation department. There’s only so much you can expect from a studio that just did Aladdin and The Lion King, and fumbled with Atlantis and Treasure Planet. But in 2002, a quirky little movie came along that broke the slump—Lilo & Stitch. With its chaotic humor and a fierce blue alien mascot, it became an instant favorite and sparked a whole franchise. But that’s just on the surface level.
1. It Started as a Children’s Book
Before Stitch ever set his fluffy alien appendage in Hawaii, he lived in the imagination of co-director Chris Sanders. Back in 1985, Sanders tried to make a children’s book about a mischievous alien. But the character’s subtleties didn’t fit in 24 pages. A decade later, when Disney asked him to pitch original film ideas, he dusted off this old concept, and Stitch finally found his home on the big screen.
2. We’re No Longer in Kansas, Stitch!
It’s almost impossible to imagine this story to be set anywhere else but sunny Hawaii, but in early drafts, Stitch crash-landed somewhere in the middle of Kansas, and started tormenting local wildlife. The shift to Hawaii came when Sanders realized the islands’ isolation perfectly mirrored Lilo and Stitch’s feelings of being outsiders. Plus, the setting gave the film its unique cultural heartbeat and colors—oh my god, the colors!
3. Stitch’s Story Broke the Disney Mold
Before directing Lilo & Stitch, Chris Sanders had spent years at Disney, soaking up how their animated films were usually made. He noticed two big patterns: most families were the “traditional” type (often missing one parent), and most stories ended with the villain’s defeat. So in his story, he completely smashed that paradigm, and the viewers loved it!
Sanders wanted to shake things up and decided that his film would celebrate unconventional families of all shapes and sizes. In addition to that, making the main character the “bad guy” was a brilliant move. Rather than abandoning the antagonist, Lilo & Stitch offered them a chance for redemption, demonstrating that even troublemakers can transform and achieve positive outcomes.
4. What Was Up With The Watercolor Backgrounds?
Those gorgeous backgrounds in every single scene weren’t digital—they were hand-painted with watercolors. It’s something that Disney hadn’t used since Bambi, which was almost 60 years prior to Lilo & Stitch. While most early-2000s animated films chased sleek CG styles, Lilo & Stitch went old-school, making its visuals stand out and giving Hawaii’s landscapes a warm, storybook feel.
5. Stitch Almost Didn’t Talk
Surprisingly, the addition of Stitch’s humorous voice came much later in the production, as his original plan was to communicate solely through animal noises. Around 12 months into production, the team decided he needed a few lines for an emotional and comedic punch. Sanders, who had been doing temporary sound effects for the character, ended up voicing him in the final film, giving us unforgettable gems like “I’m fluffy!”
6. The Ending Changed After 9/11
The movie’s finale originally featured Stitch hijacking a 747 to chase Gantu through a city, scraping buildings along the way. But after the September 11 attacks, that scene was completely reworked. The plane became Jumba and Pleakley’s spaceship, and the chase was moved to Hawaiian canyons. Although the change kept things delicate for viewers, the tone remained thrilling.
7. Elvis Almost Didn’t Make the Cut
Lilo’s Elvis obsession is one of the movie’s quirkiest charms, but the budget nearly killed it. Licensing multiple Presley tracks was expensive, and it seemed impossible for such a small-scale Disney project. Luckily, Graceland loved the film and agreed to let them use the songs. They’d even thrown in a real photo of The King. Without that, we wouldn’t have Stitch in a white jumpsuit or Wynonna Judd’s end-credits cover of “Burnin’ Love.”
8. Nobody Expected It To Become Such A Huge Hit
As you already know, the 2000s were a rough patch for Disney Animation, mainly due to Pixar and DreamWorks outperforming them in almost every way possible. Expectations for Lilo & Stitch were modest, but with its $80 million budget, it managed to get $145.7 million in North America and $245.7 million worldwide, which for an animated feature film is insane. It even outperformed some of Disney’s ’90s hits in the U.S. Lilo & Stitch’s success proved Disney could still deliver a box office winner, and opened the door to all sorts of unnecessary spin-offs, TV shows, and merchandise. And this year it even got a fancy live-action version that nobody has asked for!
