Overview
- Walt Disney Animation Studios unveiled Lilo & Scratch at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Friday, June 26, 2026, screening about two minutes of work‑in‑progress footage and technical tests.
- Directors Fawn Veerasunthorn and Malcon Pierce said the short is set shortly after the 2002 film and follows Stitch reacting to a disruptive new cat named Scratch in a fast, chaotic chase.
- Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch and Maia Kealoha voices Lilo, with original animators such as Alex Kupershmidt contributing hand‑drawn work to the production.
- Filmmakers demonstrated a mixed pipeline that blends hand‑drawn character animation, watercolor backgrounds and CG models so different media can coexist in the same frame.
- Disney confirmed the short will play theatrically ahead of its new feature Hexed this fall, and multiple outlets reported both films will be in theaters on November 25, a date that the studio described as part of its fall release plan.