Few people can lay claim to the successful run of animated features that Chris Sanders has had. After co-directing and co-writing the original “Lilo & Stitch“ in 2002, he would go on to do the same with 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” and write and direct “The Wild Robot“ in 2024. He’s also the voice of Stitch, a role he reprised in the live-action remake that has grossed over a billion dollars since it premiered in May.
Now, he’s in talks to write the sequel to the hit live-action film.
Never one to leave money on the table these days, Disney was keen on getting a sequel to “Lilo & Stitch” going as soon as it became clear that the film was taking off. It has far surpassed the success of its animated predecessor, which is saying something given how beloved that film is. Of course, die hard fans would note that the animated film already had sequels in the form of direct to video releases; something that was common for Disney at the time.
This upcoming project will be an original film, with a new story, that won’t be an adaptation of the previous material. At this time, Sanders is not being tapped to direct, but will only be writing. He seems to have his plate pretty full at DreamWorks anyway given his directorial duties for “The Wild Robot” sequel he’s working on. Still, even pulling him away from DreamWorks to write a film is a big win for Disney. Who better to help steer the franchise forward than the Oscar nominated creator himself?
Naturally, the sequel is still a ways off given it was just announced, but having Sanders attached to write it gives us hope that this will be a sequel that actually has some substance to it. We’ll continue to provide more information in the months to come.
