Walt Disney Pictures is officially moving ahead on a sequel to the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch.
The announcement was made via social media Thursday, timed to June 26, aka 6-26. That number ties to Stitch as the wild blue-haired alien is known as Experiment 626 in the movie. (See what the studio did there?)
That a sequel is in the works was never in doubt. The movie has grossed over $923 million worldwide on a budget of about $100 million. Most movies with that kind of box office usually have more than double Lilo’s budget.
The movie has humble origins that are in keeping with a Stitch-like, gleeful and chaotic vibe: It was initially headed to Disney+ as an original movie for the platform before execs reconsidered its release and upgraded it to theatrical.
Remaking the animated 2002 movie directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the story centers on a young lonely girl, played by Maia Kealoha, who befriends a whirling dervish of blue dog, who happens to be an on-the-run alien genetically engineered as a creature of destruction. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen play aliens in human form who are hunting Experiment 626.
Dean Fleischer Camp directed the movie, which was written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. It was produced by Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin, the latter now the head of Netflix Films. Ryan Halprin and Louis Provost executive produced, as well as Tom Peitzman and Thomas Schumacher.
Thursday’s announcement did not specify any creative team on board for the sequel.