This movie is about a misunderstood Hawaiian girl named Lilo and how she makes a new family with a violent alien creation from outer space. If one looks closely enough, it can be seen that Lilo is neurodivergent, specifically autistic.

Lilo is attempting to process the grief of her deceased parents. She grapples with anger management and, according to at least some armchair clinicians out there, PTSD. She struggles to express herself in a way that connects with other people, and she becomes frustrated when she can't.

Lilo stims, she has weird hobbies, she believes things that make no sense to anyone else, and she struggles to connect with people. All are signs of potential autism, but could also be chalked up to a child's imagination and the trauma of her parent's recent deaths.

In November 2022, it was confirmed via a casting call that the film will be produced for a direct-to-streaming Disney+ release. In August 2024, the film was shifted to a summer 2025 theatrical release.