Lilo & Stitch Has a Sequel You Probably Didn’t Know About (But Fans Are Finally Discovering It on Disney+)

Lilo & Stitch has been loved by tons of Disney fans since its release back in 2002, but a lot of those fans probably don’t know just how deep the on-screen story of Experiment 626 actually goes. Over the years, there have been several direct-to-video sequels to Lilo & Stitch, an American animated TV series, and entire anime series (only five episodes of which have ever aired in the US). There’s a ton of Stitch to explore and, with the live-action adaptation hitting theaters this summer, fans with a Disney+ subscription are starting to discover all the franchise has to offer.

Disney+ now features a daily Top 10 streaming lineup — similar to the one utilized by Netflix and other services — and Tuesday’s edition of the list includes a surprising result from the world of Stitch. The 2005 direct-to-video film Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is suddenly one of the most popular movies on the entire service. The Tuesday Top 10 on Disney+ sees Lilo & Stitch 2 at number six overall.

Like most of Disney’s other sequels through the 1990s and 2000s, Lilo & Stitch 2 flew under the radar with fans because it didn’t get a theatrical release. It also might have been overlooked because, despite its name, Lilo & Stitch 2 wasn’t the first Lilo & Stitch sequel to be released.

After the success of Lilo & Stitch, Disney created a TV show called Lilo & Stitch: The Series, which began with the release of a full feature film, Stitch: The Movie. That film was released on home video in 2003 and launched the follow-up series, which aired on Disney Channel. It wasn’t until two years later that Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch was released.

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Even though it was released later, Stitch Has a Glitch is actually the direct follow-up to Lilo & Stitch. The events of the film take place before Stitch: The Movie and Lilo & Stitch: The Series, both of which revolve around all of the other experiments being released in Hawaii.

What Is Lilo & Stitch 2 About?

While Stitch: The Movie and Lilo & Stitch: The Series get chaotic with Jumba’s other alien experiments, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is much more focused on the family at the center of the franchise.

After the events of the first movie, Stitch tries to adjust to life in Hawaii with Lilo and Nani (as well as Jumba and Pleakley, who live on Earth permanently). Even though everything is going well, Stitch begins having nightmares about reverting back to his former self, turning evil again and potentially hurting Lilo. Those nightmares aren’t completely unfounded, as we learn that Jumba didn’t actually finish everything he wanted to when making Stitch, and the alien starts having these glitching episodes where he briefly turns into a monster again. The majority of the film follows Lilo, Jumba, and the others as they try to fix Stitch before it’s too late.

Lilo & Stitch 2 is also notable for being the only title in the American franchise entries that doesn’t star Daveigh Chase as Lilo. The actress was busy recording Lilo & Stitch: The Series, so the job for this sequel actually went to Chase’s friend and fellow actor, Dakota Fanning.

There’s no telling why Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is suddenly gaining popularity on Disney+, but the live-action movie could have a lot to do with it. Disney’s new take on Lilo & Stitch will hit theaters in May, giving fans plenty of time to watch all of the franchise titles currently available to stream.

At the time of this writing, Disney+ has four Lilo & Stitch movies available to stream, along with Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Those movies include the three that were mentioned in this article, along with 2006’s Leroy & Stitch.

Have you seen any of the other Lilo & Stitch movies? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!