Disney’s Live-Action “Lilo and Stitch” Wins Memorial Day Weekend Box Office!

As expected, Disney’s live-action remake of the iconic Lilo and Stitch secured the top spot at the Memorial Day box office as it went head-to-head with Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo and Stitch opened to an approximate $183 million over the weekend against a reported production budget of $100 million. Based on the animated Lilo and Stitch (2002) by Chris Sanders, the latest iteration has Sanders returning to voice the iconic blue alien Experiment 626. Maia Kealoha plays six-year-old Lilo Pelekai. The rest of the cast includes Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani Pelekai, Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and Billy Magnussen as Agent Wendell Pleakley.

While the official trailer had people hyped, there were concerns about the budget and how it was initially meant for a Disney+ release. Not only that, but the following promotional material had viewers notice editing mistakes. There were also eyebrow raises about not including Captain Gantu and Pleakley not crossdressing as he did in the animated version.

Anyway, I decided to watch the live-action Lilo and Stitch. I mean, how bad could it be?

Well, it turns out, quite bad. The creative team changed certain things from the source material for no apparent reason at all. The drastic change to the ending really surprised me. Not only that, but there were a bunch of moments with editing mistakes and poorly rendered CG, especially involving human interactions with the CG aliens. The scene where Nani’s hand continued to brush air even though she’s supposed to be petting Stitch… like, how did the art team not try and fix that?

But yeah, none of that matters because Lilo and Stitch is poised to print money at the box office. As of writing this post, it has grossed more than $341 million globally. Analysts are saying it will reach $1 billion or get very close to the coveted milestone. The Audience Score is currently at 94% compared to the 64% Critic Score on Rotten Tomatoes. With how things are right now, a sequel is definitely happening, with Disney allegedly being incredibly happy about getting a much-needed box office win with a not-so-expensive movie filled with errors and not-so-well-written creative choices.

Sigh!

As for the other major release, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning came in second with an estimated $77 million. With a reported production budget being in the $300-$400 million range (due to delays because of the pandemic, strikes, etc), that movie has grossed more than $200 million worldwide as of now. The movie has been praised by critics and audiences. However, turning a profit seems unlikely. But it’s not the movie’s fault. It’s an enjoyable action flick. The inflated budget due to outside factors was unfortunate.

The enjoyable Final Destination Bloodlines came in third with approx. $24.5 million, raising the global haul to $187 million.

Sinners (deserving of award nominations) got its worldwide haul to $339 million, after adding another $11.2 million this weekend.

May 23 – May 26, 2025 Weekend Box Office:

1. Lilo and Stitch – $183 million
2. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – $77 million
3. Final Destination Bloodlines – $24.5 million
4. Thunderbolts: The New Avengers – $11.6 million
5. Sinners – $11.2 million
6. The Last Rodeo – $6.2 million
7. Friendship – $5.7 million
8. A Minecraft Movie – $2.8 million
9. The Accountant 2 – $2.5 million
10. Hurry Up Tomorrow – $0.93 million

Did you watch Lilo and Stitch? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

–

(via Beyond the Trailer, Variety)

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary