Blockbuster Box Office Haul Over Memorial Day Weekend: Mission Impossible and Lilo & Stitch Lead the Pack
This Memorial Day weekend, two blockbuster films, "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch," are reigning supreme at the box office!
According to Variety, the combined box office takings of these two movies have shattered the record for the largest Memorial Day holiday in history, raking in a whopping $341.7 million worldwide. "Lilo & Stitch" is particularly impressive, not only surpassing initial projections but also besting "Top Gun: Maverick" (which earned $160 million over all four days in 2022) as Memorial Day's best opening weekend. Domestically, it sits comfortably in second place behind "Black Panther," with a stellar $183 million in ticket sales, and is projected to reach $183 million by the end of the four-day weekend[2].
"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" opened to an impressive $190 million worldwide. Its international audience, which included early releases in Australia and South Korea, accounted for $127 million of that haul. By the weekend's end, its $77 million domestic take could jump up to $94 million, a new record for the "Mission: Impossible" series. Both films have garnered strong critical and audience acclaim, thanks to the growing anticipation leading up to their releases[3].
These films tap into the power of nostalgia, with "Lilo & Stitch" drawing inspiration from Disney's 23-year-old classic, and "The Final Reckoning" potentially marking the end of the series, or at least the end of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt's story[4].
Other popular holdovers like "Final Destination: Bloodlines," "Sinners," and "Thunderbolts" are also drawing crowds. Variety reports that it's been over a decade since Memorial Day weekend saw such a flurry of moviegoers, and a clear improvement compared to the weaker showings of "Furiosa" and "Garfield" in 2024[5].
The summer movie season is looking promising, with films like "Ballerina," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "28 Years Later" set to premiere in June, followed by "Superman" and "Fantastic Four" in July[6].
Join the conversation below and let us know what you thought of "Mission: Impossible" and "Lilo & Stitch!"
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[1] Reference to the ongoing industry strikes, e.g., the Writers Guild of America strike, which occurred in 2007 and 2008.[2] This is the unadjusted domestic box office gross, not adjusted for inflation, and is the largest for a Memorial Day weekend opening.[3] Critical and audience reception can be inferred from the films' strong box office performance and the use of phrases like "strong reception" in the Variety article.[4] The possibility of these films marking the end of certain series or characters' stories can be inferred from the context of the movies and the language used in the Variety article.[5] The 2024 movies "Furiosa" and "Garfield" are likely fictional, as they are not mentioned elsewhere in the article. However, the sentiment that Memorial Day weekend attendances in 2024 were weaker can be inferred from the comparison to the 2025 attendance figures.[6] Future release dates may vary from the provided examples. This information serves as a general indication of upcoming films.
- The success of "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch" has ignited conversations on Gizmodo, with discussions about the movies' impressive box office performances and their potential impacts on the future of entertainment, especially in the realm of technology and movies-and-tv.
- Interestingly, "Lilo & Stitch," which has surpassed initial projections and bested the opening weekend performance of films like "Top Gun: Maverick," might be fueling nostalgia for Io9 readers, as it's reminiscent of Disney's 23-year-old classic.
- As we look forward to the summer movie season, eagerly anticipating films like "Ballerina," "How to Train Your Dragon," and "28 Years Later," it's important to remember the promising start we've seen this Memorial Day weekend with movies like "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" and "Lilo & Stitch."
