Disney Making Theatrical 2D-CG Hybrid ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Short To Screen With ‘Hexed,’ Both Teased At Annecy

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ annual Annecy presentation offered attendees a closer look at its upcoming feature Hexed and unveiled an unexpected surprise: Lilo & Scratch, a new 2D/CG hybrid theatrical short that will screen ahead of the studio’s late-year feature in cinemas around the world.

Jason Hand, Fawn Veerasunthorn, and Malcon Pierce took the stage to present behind-the-scenes looks at both projects, with the Lilo & Stitch follow-up generating the biggest reaction of the event.

Directed by Veerasunthorn and Pierce, Lilo & Scratch takes place shortly after the original Lilo & Stitch and follows the pair as their peaceful home life is disrupted by a rescue cat named Scratch. The filmmakers screened the opening minutes of the short, which begin with Stitch lounging on the couch watching slapstick comedies before escalating into a frenetic battle between Stitch and Scratch. Packed with physical comedy, the footage showcased fluid, energetic animation that beautifully recreates the look and feel of the original film.

Original Lilo & Stitch supervising animator Alex Cooper Schmidt returned to animate scenes for the short on paper. “He was always reminding us to push the animation very, very far, saying, ‘What are you afraid of?'” Veerasunthorn said. Chris Sanders also returns as the voice of Stitch, while Maia Kealoha from the recent live-action adaptation reprises her role as Lilo.

The short embraces Disney’s modern CG production pipeline while preserving the watercolor aesthetic that defined the 2002 feature. Veerasunthorn and Pierce recreated the film’s iconic vinyl record scene, pairing hand-painted 2D backgrounds with CG versions of Lilo and Stitch that were nearly indistinguishable from their hand-drawn counterparts.

“Our studio includes artists working in multiple disciplines who wanted to work with these characters,” Veerasunthorn explained. “We worked with our incredible team to figure out how every artist, whether they use pencil, pixel, paintbrush, or Cintiq pen could all join in on this film.”

Pierce added, “Everything in this short was crafted by artists.” A theme across many panels that didn’t mention AI directly, but seemed to hint at it, during this week’s festival.

The presentation further demonstrated the project’s hybrid approach with an animation test featuring the CG Stitch interacting with the hand-drawn Scratch. During the sequence, Scratch swallows Stitch’s laser gun, which itself shifts from 3D to 2D in the middle of the action. The filmmakers also revealed that scans of backgrounds from the original film will be combined with newly created paintings produced both traditionally and digitally.

The short will surely be a favorite of the sizable group of Disney fans who never give up hope for more Disney 2D.

The presentation then shifted to Hexed, with Veerasunthorn emphasizing the film’s place within Disney’s long tradition of magical storytelling.

“Across every era of Disney, there is one subject that has inspired so many films. From the Walt Disney era to the Renaissance to today, we’ve always loved exploring magic,” she said.

Hexed follows teenager Billie and her mother, Alice, who both feel trapped in their daily lives at school and work. Their routine is upended when Billie discovers her dormant magical powers, launching the pair on a fantastical adventure.

Discussing the character designs, Veerasunthorn said, “Our art team was very inspired by the Milt Kahl era of character design, which means that they have very pushed proportions, allowing for the potential of more physical humor.”

The unfinished footage screened throughout the film’s first act was colorful and fluid, though it did not match the striking appeal of the concept art shown throughout the presentation. It also put to rest online speculation that the film would be framed entirely around vertical video, instead showcasing varied layouts and more ambitious visual staging than many online skeptics predicted.

While the shared clips definitely had the Disney polish, what was shown did feel a bit familiar. A new feline character had more than a little Cheshire Cat to him, and after seeing DreamWorks Forgotten Island earlier in the week, one of the festival’s clear high points this year, it’s hard not to recognize the similarities between films about teenage girls with magical bracelets opening portals to other enchanted worlds. That said, animation has long had a tradition of movies that touch on similar themes and tones, released around the same time, often to the advantage of each.

Without going too much further into story details, the filmmakers explained that the mother-daughter story at the center of Hexed is where the true magic happens. We didn’t get to see much of those two interacting, so it feels safe to say that Disney probably has more in store than was teased today.

And, although much of the animation shown wasn’t finished, Hexed certainly possesses a polish and feel that is distinctly Disney.