'Lilo & Stitch' Ending Features a Very Controversial Choice

If you're hoping for the same feel-good ending in the Lilo & Stitch live-action remake, you may want to be aware of one big spoiler that might give you pause. The ending of the new Lilo & Stitch remake is very different from the 2002 animated movie, so much so that some critics have even noted that this new ending fundamentally changes the meaning of the movie.

Across the internet, various critics and fans have voiced their frustration that the new live-action version of Lilo & Stitch's different ending is not only a strange change from the 2002 classic, but also a heartbreaking one. Be warned, big spoiler incoming.

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Lilo & Stitch, Ending Explained 

At the end of the new Lilo & Stitch, the titular young girl Lilo (Maia Kealoha) does not remain with her older sister Nani as her parental guardian. Instead, Nani chooses to let the state decide Lilo's fate, and goes off to college.

If this sounds a bit extreme, the movie's goal with this ending is to make it seem like everybody gets what they want: Nani gets to pursue her dreams, Lilo goes to live with a nice neighbor, and things are generally warm and fuzzy. But, as fans and critics alike have pointed out, this also inverts the ending of the original film. "Nani giving Lilo up to the state is a shocking deviation from the 2002 classic," writes Robert Pitman for Screenrant. "Nani's willingness to give up Lilo in the remake is a massive change of character, as she never would have done this in the animated film."

Over on Vulture, reporter Bethy Squires points out that many objections from fans on social media are connected to the idea that the movie attempts to paint the government's involvement in family choices as positive. "Some even called the film propaganda for social services," Squires points out, citing various social media reactions.

Everyone will, of course, have their own take. But one thing is for sure, the 2025 Lilo & Stitch isn't just different because it's live-action and certain characters are missing. It's different because the movie has an entirely different feeling about how the story is supposed to end.

Lilo & Stitch is currently in theaters. The 2002 animated Lilo & Stitch is streaming on Disney+.

Related: Fans All Had the Same Complaint About New 'Lilo & Stitch' Movie