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This Disney Movie Looked Very Different Before 9/11

“Lilo & Stitch” originally had a scene involving a plane hijacking.
Walt Disney

“Lilo & Stitch” was the feel-good film the country needed when Disney released it in 2002.

The animated hit features Hawaii’s beautiful scenery and explores themes of loss and unity ― which particularly resonated after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

But Disney made one major change to the film between the 9/11 attacks and the film’s release date.

“Lilo & Stitch” originally was supposed to end with an action-packed scene featuring Stitch and Jumba hijacking a commercial airplane to rescue Lilo from evil Gantu ― something that’s visible in a side-by-side video produced by Vox. The protagonists take over a passenger-filled Boeing 747 and go on a high-speed chase through a dense city, brushing the sides of skyscrapers and coming close to pedestrians on the ground.

Deleted Scene:

Final Scene: