When Stitch Stitched the Planet: Disney’s Billion-Dollar Riddle

Stitch grins on the screen—and suddenly the world is buying it, literally.

Over thirty years after the first ti-lele (that’s Hawaiian for ‘television set’) flicked across our imaginations, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch just became the first Hollywood movie of 2025 to clear the $1 billion mark globally. A milestone that hums with promise—and with puzzles.

The opening weekend racked up a staggering $183 million—Memorial Day’s new gold standard—while Stitch himself has stitched together $2.6 billion in merchandise so far.

Meanwhile, the remake keeps the original’s Hawaiian soul, even as critics grumble about structural changes and a new ending that shifts the meaning of ohana. Dean Fleischer Camp defends it, calling it “about extended family and community”—but is it community or corporate strategy? Disney has teased a sequel, already underway since June 26—Stitch’s own numeric subconscious.

What Nostalgia Buys—and What It Costs
Here’s the secret: nostalgia is no mere gimmick—it’s Disney’s blueprint. After Snow White flopped, Lilo & Stitch soared, reminding execs of the toxicity of overplaying a franchise. As film critic Scott Mantz told Business Insider, “Lilo & Stitch was a sleeping giant ready to be awakened”—but not every IP sleeps that sweetly. Disney’s next will be Moana live-action in 2026; the question is simple: will it be the shape-shifter Stitch or another flop in disguise?

When Profit Outsmarts Heart
It’s not just box office—it’s a consumer storm. Stitch has over 500 million Disney+ streaming hours, and an escalating merchandise empire. British Vogue noted the character as “a modern mascot… endlessly relatable” well before billion-dollar checks rolled in. Behind the A on CinemaScore and the 92% audience Rotten Tomatoes rating, there’s a delicate balancing act between genuine affection and assembly-line nostalgia.

Yet, some longtime fans bristle. The sanitized, sentimental reimagining has gone so far as to give Nani an entirely new narrative arc—altering the original’s emotional scaffolding. Those fans whisper: has Disney rewritten ohana for its bottom line?

Could this billion-dollar mom‑and‑pop spaceship be the beginning—or the end—of a trend?

Disney’s live-action slate now hangs in the balance: follow up Moana, Incredibles, even Up—or let nostalgia become routine.

Stitch looks around—curious, defiant, maybe even self-aware. Because at this moment, the film asks us: what do we truly mean when we say “ohana”—and whose family are we really embracing?

The box office has spoken. But there’s unease in its echo.