• The Lilo & Stitch live action movie will hit theaters later this month
  • And Disney have gone all out with marketing the film – even putting the blue alien to work in theaters! 
  • Fans were delighted – yet terrified – to see a Stitch animatronic scanning tickets
Stitch in the new Lilo & Stitch trailer
Stitch in the new Lilo & Stitch trailer Credit: Disney

Lilo & Stitch is set to hit theaters on May 23. 

And in an ingenious – yet terrifying – move, Disney bosses have come up with a clever marketing ploy for the movie. 

They have created a cute, but definitely very creepy, animatronic of everyone’s favorite blue alien to scan tickets at movie theaters. 

Sitting on top of the counter, a video shows the figure holding the scanner, before telling the cinema fans “thank you” and waving them into the showing. 

Fans went wild for ‘Stitch’ online – as his appearance divided opinions.  

‘Capitalism got to Stitch!’   

Branding him “kind of scary”, one fan wrote, “Gotta admit, seeing Stitch scan tickets is kinda cute… but those teeth are giving me nightmares,” wrote one. Another added, “I am not charmed by you. Freak.”

However, others loved the bizarre move, and said, “Unfortunately I need one.”

“Someone is definitely going to steal that,” another joked, as someone else confirmed, “They’ll have to chase me when I take him.”

Others laughed how even the rebellious alien was feeling the pinch of the cost of living. 

“Stitch working a 9 to 5… Capitalism got him too,” one frowned, as someone else laughed, “You know the economy is bad if they got Stitch doing a second job.”

While some urged the theaters to “give him a raise”, others branded the move a “recession indicator”. 

“Gotta pay the bills, even for a blue alien!” they said. Another added, “Not them putting Stitch to work.”

‘Good marketing of Stitch… but terrifying’ 

Other fans were desperate to see the animatronic Stitch in person. 

“About to call my local theater to see if Stitch is working today,” they said.

Another hoped that he would be making his way across the pond, and wrote, “I need this little guy to appear in the UK for the live action.” 

Many praised Disney for their creative marketing plan.

“When the ticket scanner is also your favorite blue alien, you know Disney’s marketing game is strong. Love it,” they said. Another continued, “Good marketing… but terrifying.”

Someone else added, “NGL this would get me in the door to see a movie SO FAST.”

Sophie Cockerham is a freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience. Her writing can be seen across titles such as Grazia, The Mail on Sunday, Femail, Metro, Stylist, RadioTimes.com, HuffPost,...