Lilo & Stitch
"This is my Family. I found it, all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good." – Stitch
ESTIMATED domestic box office revenue
$412 – 495MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
10.18% – 12.44%
Hidden potential
$594 – 656MM
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo & Stitch, the 2025 movie brings to life Disney’s animated classic. The script masterfully weaves together the journeys of an eccentric scientist, his mischievous creation whose antics disrupt the lives of two sisters.
Chris Bright & Mike Van Waes fresh take on the story revolves around timeless human quests of tranquillity, companionship and redemption set against the backdrop of Hawaii.
1. The invisible plot structure of Lilo & Stitch
1A. The script of Lilo & Stitch borrows 92% of its events from 5 mythological tales
The desire for companionship drive Lilo’s quest for Social contact. The quest borrows events from the tale of Psyche in Greek mythology. Both Psyche and Lilo, separated from their companion, sacrifice themselves to win back their loved ones.
The desire to dominate others drives Jumba’s quest of Power. The quest borrows events from the tale of Ravan in Hindu mythology. Both Ravan & Jumba fail to prevent a weaker foe from reclaiming their loved ones.
Stitch’s quest is driven by selfishness. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Stitch are self-centred but eventually have a change of heart.
The desires of Tranquillity & Honour drive Nani’s quest
- Nani’s desire to find peace borrows events from the tale of Sita in Hindu mythology. Both Sita & Nani fail to be with their loved ones despite making sacrifices.
- Nani’s desire for loyalty to one’s clan/order borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Nani save those that they initially suspected.
The Grand Councilwoman’s under-developed quest driven by the need to ensure social order borrows a few events from the tale of Bhism from Hindu mythology.
Mrs. Kekoa under-developed quest driven by the need to nurture & protect borrows a few events from the tale of Demeter from Greek mythology.
None of the other characters have a quest.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
#870,299
Tales interweaved
Ravan, Valmiki, Sita & Psyche
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. Potential of Lilo & Stitch's plot structure: $412–495MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code. The Code is a set of principles for creating compelling stories. These storytelling principles reveal the strength of a story’s plot structure.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Lilo & Stitch
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Lilo & Stitch uses 3 universal quests of Accumulation, Power & Social contact. The quests of Tranquillity & Honour are sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, every character mirrors ONLY ONE universal quest. Lilo mirrors the universal quest of Social contact. Jumba mirrors the quest of Power whereas Stitch mirrors Accumulation. Nani mirrors the quest of Tranquillity & Honour.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Lilo borrows 36% events from the quest of Social contact. Stitch borrows 33% from Accumulation. Jumba borrows 18% from Power. Nani borrows few events from both the quests of Tranquillity & Honour.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Lilo & Stitch’s quest interweaving score of 0.67 is above par.
For instance, an example of interweaving the quests of Lilo & Jumba:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Lilo & Stitch
The quests of both Lilo & Stitch are quite robust whereas Jumba’s quest is shallow. However, the inconsistent quest of Nani weakens the plot structure.
The Script Score measures the potency of a plot structure. Higher its adherence to the principles of Mythosis Code, greater is the potency. The Script Score helps estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.35
Audience appeal
10.18% – 12.44%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Lilo & Stitch
We have identified 32 mythological tales. These are the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
32 mythological tales strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential. First, we map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale. This exercise reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Second, identify missing events to plug the gaps. Plugging gaps deepens the character quest. Third, use missing events to strengthen the interweaving between various quests.
3A. Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Lilo mirrors the universal quest for Social contact
Lilo’s desire for Social contact stems from the need to find a companion. The tale of Psyche from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Social contact.
Quest 2: Stitch mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Stitch’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect and own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Jumba mirrors the universal quest for Power
Jumba’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Ravan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B. Gaps in the current plot structure
The inconsistent quest of Nani & the shallow quest of Jumba weakens the plot structure.
3C. Unlocking the hidden potential
The hidden potential of Lilo & Stitch is unlocked by Mythosis Plot structure #870,299 that interweaves the tales of Ravan, Valmiki, Sita & Psyche. This plot structure –
- Deepens the three quests of Social contact, Power & Accumulation by borrowing missing events from the respective tales
- Amends Nani’s quest by selecting one tale
- Reveals which character to attribute Nani’s other quest to
The revised plot structure can generate lifetime domestic revenues of $594 – 656MM.
Explore Mythosis Plot structure #870,299 to enhance current revenues by 1.5X!
Tags: Sita, Tranquillity, Psyche, Social contact, Ravan, Power, Valmiki, Accumulation, Dean Fleischer Camp, Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2025