Big Memorial Day Box Office Success for Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch
This Memorial Day weekend, two blockbuster films - "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch" - have marked a significant milestone in Hollywood history. According to Variety, the combined box office revenue of these two movies has set a new record for the largest Memorial Day weekend in history, generating a total of $341.7 million worldwide.
"Lilo & Stitch" has outperformed initial projections, earning an impressive $145.5 million domestically, and surpassing the $160 million earned by "Top Gun: Maverick" in 2022. It ranks second by domestic weekend start only behind "Black Panther" during Presidents Day 2018, with a revenue of $242 million. "Lilo & Stitch" is now among the biggest debuts for Disney's live-action remakes, following closely behind 2019's "The Lion King" and 2017's "Beauty & the Beast."
Meanwhile, "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" opened with $190 million worldwide, thanks to its release in international territories such as Australia and South Korea prior to its U.S. premiere. Its domestic take currently stands at $63 million, potentially rising to $77 million by the end of the four-day weekend, breaking a new record for the "Mission: Impossible" series.
Both films have garnered positive critical and audience reception, bolstered by the growing anticipation leading up to their releases. "Lilo & Stitch" is based on Disney's 23-year-old classic animated film, while "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" is the latest installment in the series, or potentially the last to feature Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt.
In addition to these headliners, holdovers such as "Final Destination Bloodlines," "Sinners," and "Thunderbolts" also drew audiences during the holiday weekend. Interestingly, Variety noted that it has been over a decade since audiences went to the theaters in such numbers during Memorial Day, marking a marked improvement from the weaker showings of "Furiosa" and "Garfield" in 2024.
As the summer season progresses, moviegoers can look forward to more exciting releases, including "Ballerina," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "28 Years Later" in June, followed by "Superman" and "Fantastic Four" in July.
We invite you to share your thoughts on "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch" in the comments below.
For more news on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who releases, visit io9.
- The success of "Lilo & Stitch" has surpassed initial projections, earning a domestic revenue of $145.5 million, making it the second-highest domestic weekend start, following "Black Panther" in 2018.
- Gizmodo reports that "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" has opened with $190 million worldwide, setting a new record for the "Mission: Impossible" series, with its domestic take potentially reaching $77 million by the end of the Memorial Day weekend.
- The entertainment industry website io9 covers upcoming releases, including "Ballerina," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "28 Years Later" in June, as well as "Superman" and "Fantastic Four" in July.
