Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. It was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois in their directorial debuts, and produced by Clark Spencer, based on an original story created by Sanders. It stars Daveigh Chase and Sanders as the voices of the title characters, respectively, with the voices of Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, and Kevin Michael Richardson in supporting roles. It was the second of three Disney animated feature films produced primarily at the Florida animation studio in Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.

The film tells the story of two individuals: an orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her struggling older sister, Nani, after their parents' deaths, and the genetically engineered extraterrestrial creature Experiment 626, whom Lilo adopts as her "dog" and renames "Stitch". Stitch, who was designed to cause chaos and destruction, initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by an intergalactic federation. They develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ʻohana, or extended family, causing Stitch to reconsider his intended destructive purpose, to keep his newfound family together.

The film is based on an idea by Sanders, who originally conceived Stitch in 1985, and the film's design and aesthetics are based on his personal art style. Stitch was initially at the center of a children's book Sanders had conceptualized, but later abandoned. A feature-length film starring the character entered development in 1997 when Thomas Schumacher, then the president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, approached Sanders with the objective of producing "the Dumbo for our generation." The use of watercolor backgrounds hearkened back to early Disney productions such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The film and its accompanying soundtrack made extensive use of the music of Elvis Presley, while Alan Silvestri composed the film's score.

Lilo & Stitch premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 16, 2002, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 21. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, humor, charm, and originality. Produced on an $80 million budget and promoted with a marketing campaign that played up its oddities, it was a box-office success, grossing over $273 million worldwide. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, but lost to Spirited Away. The film's success made it a highlight of Disney's post-animation renaissance era in the 2000s, spawning a franchise that includes three direct-to-video film sequels, three television series, and a live-action adaptation that was released in 2025.

On planet Turo, the United Galactic Federation convicts Dr. Jumba Jookiba of illegal genetic experimentation; he has created Experiment 626, an aggressive and near-indestructible creature with advanced learning capabilities. Experiment 626 is escorted by Captain Gantu for exile, but 626 escapes and hijacks a space cruiser that crash-lands on Kauaʻi, Hawaii, on the planet Earth. Shortly after landing on Earth, 626 is run over by three passing trucks and taken to an animal shelter. The Federation's Grand Councilwoman offers Jumba an early release if he retrieves 626 with the assistance of the council's Earth expert, Agent Pleakley.

On Kauaʻi, orphaned teenager Nani Pelekai struggles to take care of her lonely, rambunctious younger sister, Lilo, following their parents' death in a car crash. Social worker Cobra Bubbles doubts Nani can be an adequate guardian for Lilo, and threatens to place Lilo in foster care if the Pelekais' situation fails to improve within three days. After overhearing Lilo wishing for a friend, Nani brings her to the animal shelter to adopt a dog. Lilo adopts 626, who is impersonating a dog, and names him "Stitch". Jumba and Pleakley disguise themselves as tourists while trying to capture Stitch. When Stitch attacks Pleakley at the lūʻau where Nani works, Nani is blamed for the incident and fired. Bubbles orders Nani to find a new job and tells Lilo to teach Stitch to be a "model citizen".

Despite Lilo's attempts to domesticate Stitch, his antics repeatedly ruin Nani's efforts to find a new job. While Nani, Lilo, and Stitch go surfing with Nani's friend and former co-worker David, Jumba and Pleakley again attempt to capture Stitch, who unintentionally drags Lilo under water. David rescues Lilo and Stitch, but Bubbles, having observed the mishap, tells Nani he will retrieve Lilo the following morning. Feeling guilty for causing so much trouble, Stitch runs away. Having failed to capture Stitch, the Grand Councilwoman fires Jumba and Pleakley, and tasks Gantu with capturing Stitch. Now free, Jumba begins hunting Stitch using less-covert methods. When David informs Nani of another job opportunity, Nani leaves Lilo at home alone. Jumba and Pleakley chase Stitch back to the Pelekais' house, and the ensuing fight causes an explosion that destroys the house.

Nani gets the job, but frantically returns home after seeing a fire engine driving toward her house. Bubbles arrives to retrieve Lilo. While Bubbles and Nani argue about Lilo's well-being, Lilo runs away into the woods and encounters Stitch, who reveals his alien identity, just moments before Gantu captures them both. Stitch manages to escape just as Gantu's ship takes off. Nani confronts Stitch, but Jumba and Pleakley immediately capture him. Nani asks them to save Lilo, but they insist they only have legal authority to capture Stitch. As Nani breaks down, Stitch remembers ʻohana, a term for "family" he learned from Lilo, and convinces Jumba to help rescue her. Jumba, Pleakley, Stitch, and Nani board Jumba's spaceship, pursue Gantu, and rescue Lilo.