Disney Unveils Short ‘Lilo & Scratch’ for Theatrical Release with *Hexed*

Lilo & Scratch is a theatrical animated short in which Stitch is left to look after Scratch, a destructive cat Lilo brings home. The film combines hand-drawn and CG animation with watercolor backgroun

Disney Animation’s new theatrical short Lilo & Scratch begins when Stitch is left to look after Scratch, a cat Lilo has brought home as a new member of the family. While Lilo is out running an errand, Stitch must deal with the trail of destruction left behind by this mysterious cat. The film is scheduled to play in theaters alongside the feature animation *Hexed*, and it is Disney Animation’s first project centered on Stitch since the 2002 animated film *Lilo & Stitch*.

Scratch Is Stitch’s Responsibility

Scratch is introduced as a mischievous cat of unknown origins. Lilo brings him into ‘ohana’ as a new family member, but for Stitch, he becomes a rival to match him. According to the official description, voice actor Chris Sanders returns as the voice of Stitch, while Maia Kealoha, who played Lilo in the 2025 live-action film, also reprises the role as Lilo’s voice.

Hand-Drawn Animation and CG Share the Screen

Directors Fon Virasuntorn and Malcolm Pierce carry the original’s atmosphere forward through modern production methods. The key approach is to combine hand-drawn animation and CG animation with richly watercolor-inspired backgrounds. Materials presented at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival explain that this combination preserves the original’s look and feel while bringing it to life in a new way.

A Place for a Theatrical Short

The project was conceived not as a standalone streaming release but as a short to be seen in theaters before *Hexed*. As a result, the clash between Stitch and Scratch is presented as a brief story that opens the theatrical experience rather than as a narrative connected to the feature. Disney has not separately announced the short’s exact runtime or release dates by country.