Blockbuster Box Office Boost: Memorial Day Revenue Skyrockets with Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch
Memorial Day weekend witnesses a blockbuster box office as a pair of major Hollywood films, "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch", garner impressive earnings.
According to Variety, this Memorial Day weekend marked the "largest Memorial Day holiday in history" with a combined worldwide gross of $341.7 million for both titles, surpassing previous records. "Lilo & Stitch" has shattered initial projections and now stands with a domestic take of $145.5 million, surpassing "Top Gun: Maverick" (which earned $160 million over Memorial Day 2022) as the highest Memorial Day opening weekend. Domestically, it ranks as the second-best holiday weekend start, behind "Black Panther's" $242 million during Presidents Day 2018.
"Lilo & Stitch" has secured a notable spot among Disney's live-action remakes, ranking just behind 2019's "The Lion King" and 2017's "Beauty & the Beast," which respectively grossed $191 million and $174 million. The film has the potential to earn $183 million by the end of the four-day weekend.
On the other hand, "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" opened to a global haul of $190 million, with a substantial international audience contributing $127 million to the sum. The film's domestic earnings of $63 million may reach up to $77 million by the weekend's end, marking a new record for the "Mission: Impossible" series.
Both films have received warm responses from both critics and audiences, capitalizing on growing anticipation leading up to their releases, and a nod to nostalgia as "Lilo & Stitch" is based on Disney's 23-year-old classic and "Final Reckoning" is the last film in the series or the final to star Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt.
Despite the dominance of "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch," other holdovers like "Final Destination Bloodlines, Sinners," and "Thunderbolts" have also managed to draw audiences this weekend. The strong showing during Memorial Day has not been witnessed in theaters for over a decade, marking a significant improvement from 2024's less successful releases of "Furiosa" and "Garfield."
The summer season promises a lineup of highly-anticipated films including "Ballerina, How to Train Your Dragon," and "28 Years Later" in June, followed by "Superman" and "Fantastic Four" in July.
Audience feedback is encouraged in the comments below. For more io9 news, stay tuned for updates on the latest releases for "Marvel," "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "DC Universe," and "Doctor Who."
- The success of "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch" has led Io9 to anticipate the upcoming summer season, with films like "Ballerina" and "How to Train Your Dragon" set to be released in June.
- In the realm of movies-and-tv entertainment, "Lilo & Stitch" has surpassed previous records, earning $145.5 million domestically over Memorial Day weekend, making it the highest Memorial Day opening weekend.
- Meanwhile, Gizmodo reports that while "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch" dominated the box office, other films like "Final Destination Bloodlines, Sinners," and "Thunderbolts" also managed to draw audiences during this weekend, marking a significant improvement in the entertainment industry since 2024's less successful releases of "Furiosa" and "Garfield."
