For the most part, the new version sticks pretty closely to the 2002 animated film. The story centers on two sisters, Lilo and Nani, who are navigating life after the death of their parents. Nani, a teenager just about to head to college, struggles to hold down a job and watch out for her sister, who is a bit chaotic.

Variety reports that the film marks the second-largest worldwide opening weekend of 2025 so far, just behind A Minecraft Movie. Its debut also makes it the third-best for any of Disney’s live-action adaptation behind The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast .