The Real Curiosity Before Hexed Is Disney’s New 2D Lilo & Stitch Short

Disney’s next theatrical release is bringing an unexpected extra for fans who miss the studio’s hand-drawn look. Before Hexed begins, audiences will get Lilo & Scratch, a new Lilo & Stitch short made in the 2D style of the 2002 film.

The short, titled Lilo & Scratch, will play in theaters before Hexed when that feature opens on November 25. For Disney fans, that means two changes at once: Lilo & Stitch is returning in its original visual style, and Disney is once again putting a short film in front of one of its movies.

Lilo & Scratch uses the 2D animation style of the original Lilo & Stitch to tell a new story centered on Scratch, a chaotic pink cat with a possible connection to Stitch, who joins the Pelekai home. The setup gives Stitch a new foil, with the short built around his clash with the tiny but powerful Scratch.

The short also ties together older and newer versions of the franchise through its cast. Chris Sanders reprises Stitch, while Maia Kealoha, who plays Lilo in the live-action Lilo & Stitch, voices Lilo here.

Why this short stands out

Walt Disney Animation Studios did not make the project by simply copying an older process. The studio created a new pipeline for Lilo & Scratch that combines hand-drawn animation with its modern computer-based animation models. It also pulled visual material directly from the original feature, using watercolor backgrounds from Lilo & Stitch as backdrops for the new short.

The release adds to a recent, if limited, return of hand-drawn influences at Disney Animation. Wish drew heavily from that tradition, and Once Upon a Studio used it as part of Disney’s 100-year anniversary celebration.

There is also a broader hint here about where the studio’s visual experiments could continue. Hexed co-director Jason Hand said Hexed itself uses 2D animation in its opening, which is hand-drawn, and said he is in favor of using whatever approach tells the story best.

For theatergoers, the immediate takeaway is simpler. Anyone seeing Hexed this fall will also get a new Lilo & Stitch short first. Disney had not attached a short to one of its theatrical features since Encanto in 2021, making Lilo & Scratch a notable return for longtime fans of that tradition.