Blockbuster Hits: Mission: Impossible, Lilo & Stitch Dominate Memorial Day Box Office Revenue
Holiday excitement is at an all-time high as Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning and the revamped Lilo & Stitch take over the big screen this Memorial Day weekend!
According to Variety, these two blockbusters have shattered previous Memorial Day records, raking in a staggering $341.7 million collectively worldwide. Lilo has left its competition in the dust, notably exceeding initial predictions and surpassing Top Gun: Maverick's $160 million total from 2022 to claim Memorial Day's top opening weekend. Domestically, it's currently positioned as the second-best Memorial Day weekend debut, bested only by Black Panther's impressive $242 million during Presidents Day 2018. By the end of the four-day weekend, it's projected to earn $183 million, making it one of Disney's biggest live-action remake debuts, trailing just behind 2019's The Lion King and 2017's Beauty & the Beast.
On the other hand, Final Reckoning debuted strong with $190 million worldwide. A week's worth of pre-release screenings in Australia, South Korea, and other territories accounted for $127 million of that total. By the weekend's end, its $63 million domestic haul may vault to $77 million, a historic achievement for the Mission: Impossible series during Memorial Day weekend.
Both movies have garnered positive critical and audience acclaim, propelled by growing enthusiasm surrounding their releases. Fond memories drive both films: Lilo is adapted from the iconic 23-year-old Disney classic, while Reckoning may represent the final installment or only the last with Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt at the helm.
Audiences are flocking to theaters this weekend, with holdover favorites like Final Destination: Bloodlines, Sinners, and Thunderbolts also in the mix. It's been over a decade since audiences have filled theaters like they did during Memorial Day, and attendance markedly improved upon the weaker showings of Furiosa and Garfield in 2024.
This holiday season is just getting started, with summer blockbusters like Ballerina, How to Train Your Dragon, and 28 Years Later set to hit theaters in June. July will bring even more excitement with Superman and Fantastic Four*. Share your thoughts on Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch** in the comments below!
Want more io9 news? Check out the latest updates on Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, the future of the DC Universe, and everything you need to know about the evolving Doctor Who universe!
- The famous Disney classic, Lilo & Stitch, has surpassed Top Gun: Maverick's Memorial Day earnings in 2022, becoming the movie with the highest opening weekend of the holiday.
- Io9 readers can look forward to exciting summer blockbusters like How to Train Your Dragon and Superman, as well as updates on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, the DC Universe, and the Doctor Who universe.
- The much-anticipated Mission: Impossible movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, recently debuted with $190 million worldwide, potentially setting a new record for the series during Memorial Day weekend.
