Bob Iger should probably get a sequel into production… now. Lilo & Stitch may only have a 70% score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but the box office score is out-of-this-world.
Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is poised to become a box office sensation over the Memorial Day weekend. Industry projections estimate a domestic opening between $185 million and $230 million over the four-day holiday period, potentially making it the highest-grossing Memorial Day opening in history. That estimation gives the movie a more-than-likely take-home greater than $200M and easily puts it in the top ten films all-time (not adjusted for inflation) for domestic opening weekends.
The first trailer for live-action ‘LILO & STITCH’ has been released.
In theaters on May 23.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 12, 2025
The highest domestic Memorial Day weekend box office haul (four-day total) belongs to:
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (2007)
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Memorial Day weekend (4-day total): $139.8 million
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Studio: Disney
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3-day total (Fri–Sun): $114.7 million
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Overall domestic total: $309.4 million
This remains the record-holder for Memorial Day weekend in terms of domestic opening, despite inflation and the rise of modern blockbusters.
Other strong Memorial Day openers include:
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“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008) – $126.9M (4-day)
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“X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006) – $122.8M (4-day)
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“Fast & Furious 6″ (2013) – $117M (4-day)
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“Aladdin” (2019) – $116.8M (4-day)
If Lilo & Stitch hits the projected $185M–$230M range, it would absolutely shatter the record.
Lilo kisses Stitch on the nose in Lilo & Stitch – YouTube, IGN
The film’s success is attributed to the enduring popularity of the original 2002 animated classic, which has evolved into one of Disney’s top franchises. Merchandise sales skyrocketed from $200 million in 2019 to $2.6 billion in 2024, and the character Stitch has become a cultural icon, especially among young women and girls.
To give just some idea of how insanely popular Lilo & Stitch is looking with audiences, let’s compare Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which had an impressive opening weekend of $154.2 million domestically and went on to gross nearly $1.7 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Stitch is looking to beat it by more than 25% in its opening weekend… yes, beat the highest-grossing animated film of all time but more than a little.
Lilo & Stitch‘s projected opening not only surpasses these figures but also underscores Disney’s continued dominance in the family entertainment sector when the company avoids divisive issues and controversial social concepts. With the film’s strong pre-release momentum and widespread audience appeal, it is set to be a defining box office event of the summer. Additionally, one might rightly conclude that 2025 is the Year of Chris Sanders, as he created both Stitch and Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)… and the two characters are likely to lead the biggest films of the year.
Lilo and Stitch with Nani in the Live Action Lilo & Stitch movie – YouTube, IGN
The only loser this weekend? Tom Cruise and Mission Impossible’s final film. When going up against a movie like Lilo & Stitch, it’s hard to see how Cruise finds a win. The more and more money Stitch pulls in, the less and less theaters will want to give up any theater to anything else. By next weekend, we could see near-record screen allocations going to the little blue alien who has clearly won over audiences the world over. The sky is the limit for this film’s box office chances. If Disney has any sense within them, it’s sequel time for these characters, especially given that they’re overcoming a less-than-perfect script to garner this kind of response.
