Movies

Lilo & Stitch Breaks Memorial Day Box Office Record, Outgrosses Snow White in Four Days

BBG News

In similar fashion, both “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” played significant roles in setting a new record for the highest-grossing Memorial Day weekend at the box office.

Cinema attendance nationwide significantly increased due to the strong performances of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” These films contributed to a staggering $322 million box office collection, setting a new record for the highest earnings during the holiday season.

Large numbers of families flocked to see Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 2002 animated film “Lilo & Stitch.” The movie raked in an impressive $145.5 million over the weekend and is estimated to finish the four-day period with $183 million. This figure surpassed industry predictions and shattered the Memorial Day opening record, which was previously held by “Top Gun: Maverick” ($160 million over four days).

I’ve just set a remarkable record, placing myself as the second-biggest four-day box office debut ever, trailing only Marvel’s Black Panther from back in 2018 (earning $242 million over Presidents’ Day weekend). What an incredible achievement!

In addition, Tom Cruise’s portrayal of Ethan Hunt in his latest venture was highly successful. The film “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” attracted a significant number of older viewers, raking in an impressive $63 million over the weekend and $77 million by Monday. This surpassed the previous record set by “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” ($61 million), making it the highest domestic opening in the series’ 29-year history.

Chris Aronson, head of distribution at Paramount, commented that it’s incredibly impressive when a film sets a new record after its eighth release. He added that the visual spectacle presented by Tom and McQ (Christopher McQuarrie) is truly unique in today’s movie market.

By pairing that powerful one-two punch with the robust grip of recent hits such as “Final Destination: Bloodlines”, “Thunderbolts”, and “Sinners”, this Memorial Day weekend reached unprecedented peaks, surpassing the $314 million mark set by the trio of “Fast & Furious 6”, “The Hangover Part III”, and “Star Trek Into Darkness” in 2013.

This year’s holiday season is showing a significant improvement compared to last year, with a much stronger audience turnout. Last holiday season, we faced a challenging time as films like ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ and ‘Garfield’ struggled to attract viewers, resulting in disappointing box office collections below $132 million collectively. However, this year’s lineup has already managed to overcome that slump.

According to Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst at Comscore, every movie still set for release this summer will gain advantage from the momentum built during the extraordinary, record-breaking Memorial Day weekend at the box office.

Worldwide, the movie titled “Lilo & Stitch” generated another impressive $158.7 million in its first weekend, raising its overall global box office earnings to a staggering $341.7 million. Given its production budget of $100 million and marketing expenses totaling another $100 million, the film is quickly approaching profitability and could potentially become part of an elite group known as the billion-dollar club.

The project was headed by Dean Fleischer Camp, earning an “A” grade from the audience on its first day at the cinema.

Compared to Disney’s recent reboots, Lilo & Stitch lags behind The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast in opening power. Notably, it marked a significant recovery following the underperformance of Snow White, which only earned $204 million at the global box office against a budget of $250 million. Conversely, Lilo & Stitch made more in four days than Snow White managed during its entire theatrical run.

As a passionate movie buff, I’ve found an intriguing comparison between two films that extends far beyond mere statistics. The modern take on “Snow White” deviates significantly from its traditional roots, opting for a more progressive narrative. Instead of following the classic fairy tale, this version embraces diversity in casting and features bold statements from its lead actress, Rachel Zegler, who has been vocal about her criticisms towards the original 1937 film, and her dismissal of the idea that Snow White’s story should revolve around a romantic plot.

Initially, Disney faced a strong and swift reaction from long-time fans who felt their beloved classics were undergoing a significant ideological shift. However, Lilo & Stitch managed to steer clear of political messages altogether, opting instead for a storyline centered around emotion, family ties, and stunning visuals, complete with some significant alterations to the movie’s ending that weren’t previously announced before its premiere.

The outcome led to a movie that resonated with various age groups, generating positive buzz from viewers through word of mouth, instead of receiving attention due to off-set drama or media headlines.

According to David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research, it’s a big hit with the public, and its audience ratings are exceptionally high.

Impossible – The Final Reckoning” made quite an impact worldwide. It raked in $127 million from foreign markets, adding up to a global opening of $190 million in its first week. Paramount began releasing it internationally a week before, including these earnings in the total sum.

Although it starts off powerfully, “The Final Reckoning” boasts one of the highest film production budgets ever, estimated at around $400 million. This inflated cost is attributed to setbacks caused by lockdowns, strikes, and complications stemming from inflation. To date, the top-grossing movie in the franchise has been “Fallout” with a global take of $791 million; for “The Final Reckoning” to turn a profit, it will have to outperform this figure significantly.

This year’s release hasn’t received quite the same level of rave reviews as last year’s “Dead Reckoning Part One,” but it garnered an “A-” rating from CinemaScore. Starring Tom Cruise, who at 62 is still challenging industry expectations with his daring action sequences and stunts, the film revolves around a perilous narrative involving a rogue artificial intelligence called the Entity.

According to Gross, there’s a high potential for earning substantial profits. However, the expenses are incredibly high, and it’s unlikely that we’ll recoup our investment. The setbacks, unfortunately, were beyond our control and quite inconvenient.

Highlights from this past weekend included “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” which raked in an additional $24.5 million during the holiday, boosting its worldwide earnings to a staggering $187 million over just two weeks. On the other hand, “Thunderbolts” amassed $12 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its global total to $353 million – a figure that is yet to cover its initial budget of $180 million due to tight theatrical profits.

Completing the list of the leading five, the film “Sinners” added another impressive $11.2 million to its tally during the weekend, bringing its worldwide earnings to a staggering $339 million, with $259 million earned domestically.

Currently, Minecraft from Warner Bros. holds the position as the highest earning game of the year, nearing the billion-dollar mark with a global revenue of $940 million. However, Lilo & Stitch is rapidly gaining ground and could potentially claim the title of box office champion if its current momentum persists.

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2025-05-27 17:56

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