Walt Disney Animation Studios is pairing a new “Lilo & Scratch” short with its animated feature “Hexed,” bringing the return of Chris Sanders as Stitch and Maia Kealoha as Lilo to theaters on November 25. The short, shown at Annecy, recreates the original film
When Walt Disney Animation Studios unveiled the new “Lilo & Stitch” short “Lilo & Scratch. ” it didn’t start with a big reveal on a stage—it started with proof. At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. directors Fawn Veerasunthorn and Malcon Pierce showed a snippet and made one promise clear: this short is built to look like the original.
Both “Lilo & Scratch” and Disney’s new animated feature “Hexed” are set for theaters on November 25, turning that day into a full-on Stitch-related event after last summer’s live-action adaptation of the original film grossed $1 billion.
Veerasunthorn and Pierce brought Chris Sanders into the spotlight too. Sanders returns to voice Stitch in “Lilo & Scratch.” He directed the original 2002 film (with Dean DeBlois) and has voiced Stitch ever since. including in last summer’s $1 billion-grossing live-action adaptation. Sanders will also return to write and direct the sequel to the live-action film.
The most striking part. though. wasn’t who was back—it was how the team aimed to match the look of the 2002 original: traditional hand-drawn animation paired with watercolor backgrounds. a technique that hadn’t been used in an animated feature since the 1940s. For “Lilo & Scratch,” the production leaned on multiple methods at once. There’s traditional animation, watercolor backgrounds, and computer-based facsimilies of both.
To illustrate how close they were getting. Veerasunthorn and Pierce put up six backgrounds from the short—only two were actual watercolors. The differences were said to be impossible to spot. They also displayed a shot from the original film alongside their new version. Side-by-side, the frames looked identical, until the newer shot began to rotate. Then it was clear what the audience was seeing: Lilo and Stitch were 3D models. and the approximation of hand-drawn animation was described as seamless.
That same blending of dimensionality came up in a test featuring Stitch and Scratch. the new cat Lilo has decided to adopt. Scratch is another alien and starts shooting lasers out of her eyes. The striking detail wasn’t just the performance—it was the pairing: Stitch is rendered as a 3D character. while Scratch is 2D. yet both looked correct together. interacting in the same frame. Even a prop Stitch was holding reportedly shifted from 3D to 2D in a way the team said you couldn’t tell was happening.
The voice cast also carries real weight. Maia Kealoha, who played Lilo in the 2025 remake, returns to voice Lilo here. Daveigh Chase, who voiced the character in the original animated film, passed away 10 days ago.
Then the directors moved from craftsmanship to comedy. After showing off two minutes of “Lilo & Scratch. ” the short’s setup landed right where fans will expect it: Lilo brings Scratch home. and Scratch immediately tries to eat Pudge—the fish that controls the weather. Pudge has now joined Lilo & Stitch at home in a fishbowl. and the action unfolds directly after the events of the film.
Stitch spends the short trying to protect Pudge from Scratch’s advances. The tension keeps building—again and again—until they finally collide in the kitchen. Stitch reverts back to his alien form with antennae and four arms. only for Scratch to out-alien him with similar antennae and even more arms. The short cuts off there, leaving the audience hanging right at the peak of the chaos.
For viewers who want to see how it all lands on screen, there’s no separate release date to hunt down. The only way to catch “Lilo & Scratch” will be to see Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 65th animated feature “Hexed” on November 25.
Lilo & Stitch Lilo & Scratch Hexed Walt Disney Animation Studios Annecy Chris Sanders Fawn Veerasunthorn Malcon Pierce Maia Kealoha Daveigh Chase traditional hand-drawn animation watercolor backgrounds Stitch voice