After Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Challenges, Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Faces Low Rating

With Disney’s Snow White (2025) now out in the world, The Walt Disney Company is now shifting focus to its next live-action release: Lilo & Stitch (2025).

Adapted from Disney’s beloved 2002 hit of the same name, Dean Fleischer Camp’s take on the story is set to hit movie theaters on May 23, 2025. It stars Maia Kealoha and Chris Sanders as the titular duo, Lilo Pelekai and Experiment 626, AKA Stitch, respectively, with Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Lilo’s older sister Nani Pelekai, Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, Billy Magnussen as Agent Pleakley, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, and Hannah Waddingham as the Grand Councilwoman making up the supporting cast.

Interestingly, Lilo & Stitch was initially intended for a streaming release on Disney+, but, like Moana 2 (2024), got bumped up to theatrical during production. The shifting release strategy happened in August 2024, and Disney has quickly gotten to work on marketing the upcoming flick–arguably with more precision and focus than its recently dropped Snow White movie.

From activations involving the release of Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) and TV spots at Super Bowl LIX in February to the recent poster run which shows Stitch taking on classic Disney animation posters including Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1992), Disney has been noticeably proactive with making sure Stitch is everywhere ahead of his return to the big screen.

Now, more information has come to light regarding the release of Camp’s movie, and it involves its theatrical rating.

According to Film Ratings, the upcoming live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has received a low rating of PG. The site wrote the movie was “rated PG for action, peril, and thematic elements.” This mirrors the rating for the original 2002 animated movie, which was rated PG for “mild sci-fi action.”

The rating reveal of Lilo & Stitch comes amid the release of Disney’s embattled Snow White movie from director Marc Webb and writer Erin Cressida Wilson. The production has been the subject of controversy ever since the casting of Rachel Zegler in the title role four years ago.

From Zegler and Gal Gadot’s casting to the reimagining of the seven dwarfs to the alterations to the prince’s character and storyline elements, Snow White faced an incredibly steep uphill battle at the box office. Unfortunately, it seems Disney failed to make the adaptation land, with Snow White taking just $43 million domestically during its opening weekend. The global haul stands at $87 million.

This is a big blow to the House of Mouse, not least because of its big budget (close to $300 million some reports claim), but also because of Snow White’s legacy as Disney’s first-ever feature-length animation. With a slew of devastating reviews and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 43%, the studio will be seeking a big hit from Lilo & Stitch–but can it go the distance?

How do you feel about the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch? Do you think it will perform better at the box office than Snow White? Let us know in the comments down below!