Disney's live-action film "Lilo & Stitch" (directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp) was released in 380 cinemas nationwide on June 6th, and it has been revealed that it grossed approximately 563 million yen and attracted approximately 380,000 moviegoers in the three days since. It got off to a good start, taking the top spot on the movie attendance rankings for June 6th-8th (surveyed by Kogyo Tsushinsha). It has been a hit worldwide, grossing over 770 million dollars (approximately 110.8 billion yen).
In response to the success, Stitch expressed his joy by saying, "Congratulations on the huge huge hit! I'm so happy that everyone watched the movie, Stitch!" and expressed his gratitude to his Japanese fans by making a heart shape with his hands and saying, "Thank you!" He also appealed to everyone who hasn't seen the movie yet, "Watch it! Go!! You'll fall in love with Stitch!"
The film is a live-action adaptation of the Disney animated film of the same name produced in 2002. It is a fantasy set on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, depicting the important bond of "ohana (family)." A young girl named Lilo and her older sister Nani, who have lost their parents, are confronted by Stitch, a rowdy alien who knows no family love. Stitch's unpredictable actions cause chaos on the peaceful island, but this miraculous encounter eventually changes the sisters who were close to losing hope.
In the Japanese dubbed version, Stitch is played by voice actor Koichi Yamadera, Lilo is played by child actress Yuno Nagao, Nani is played by MOMONA from the 11-member girl group ME:I, the voice of the kind-hearted surfer David is played by Kaito Nakamura from the popular group Travis Japan, and the alien Preekly is played by voice actor Yuji Mitsuya.
