Massive Memorial Day Weekend Revenue for Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch
Weekend at the box office is all about two major Hollywood blockbusters – Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning and Lilo & Stitch, and they're making waves!
According to Variety, these two movies have shattered records, setting the largest Memorial Day holiday in history with a collective $341.7 million worldwide haul. Lilo & Stitch has blown past initial projections, raking in a stunning $145.5 million domestically, ousting Top Gun: Maverick as Memorial Day's best opening weekend. The adorable alien duo even managed to nab the second-best holiday weekend start behind Black Panther, with $242 million during Presidents Day 2018. By the end of the four-day weekend, Lilo & Stitch is expected to earn an impressive $183 million.
Meanwhile, Final Reckoning opened to $190 million worldwide, with international audiences contributing $127 million to that impressive figure. The film's domestic take of $63 million might jump up to $77 million by the weekend's end, setting a new record for the Mission: Impossible series. Both films have secured strong critical and audience reception, riding on the momentum towards their releases. Nostalgia plays a significant role in both movies – Lilo & Stitch is based on Disney's beloved 23-year-old classic, while Reckoning might be the last film in the series, or the last with Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in the leading role.
It's not just these two movies rocking the box office – holdovers like Final Destination Bloodlines, Sinners, and Thunderbolts are also attracting audiences. It's been over a decade since people went to the theaters this much during Memorial Day, marking a significant improvement from 2024's weaker showings of Furiosa and Garfield. Summer season is heating up with Ballerina, How to Train Your Dragon, and 28 Years Later in June, followed by Superman and Fantastic Four in July.
What did you think of Mission: Impossible and Lilo & Stitch? Let us know in the comments below!
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Enrichment Data Insight:The recent Memorial Day weekend box office openings have demonstrated new benchmarks in the industry, particularly in the context of Disney live-action remakes and major franchise releases like Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. Lilo & Stitch now holds the record for the highest Memorial Day opening with $183 million domestic box office, surpassing the previous record holder, Top Gun: Maverick. This success is being attributed to Disney's strategy of lower budgets and strategic theatrical releases, as exemplified by The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, and Aladdin's massive worldwide grosses, as well as recent successes such as Moana 2 and Lilo & Stitch. The success of these movies underlines the potential for Disney’s live-action remakes to thrive with optimized budgets and theatrical releases, providing valuable lessons for upcoming June and July releases.
- Gizmodo reported an impressive performance of movies during the Memorial Day weekend, with Lilo & Stitch breaking records and Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning set to establish a new record for the Mission: Impossible series.
- io9 highlighted the success of Disney's live-action remakes, with Lilo & Stitch earning $183 million domestically, surpassing Top Gun: Maverick as Memorial Day's best opening weekend.
- In the world of entertainment, the upcoming summer season promises blockbusters such as Ballerina, How to Train Your Dragon, 28 Years Later, Superman, and Fantastic Four, following the strong box office results of recent movies like Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning.
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