Box Office: Lilo and Stitch live-action opens to 73 percent on RT, eyes USD 175M plus global weekend
Disney's live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch has kicked off its international rollout with promising momentum, opening to a solid 73 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is set to debut overseas today, with a US release scheduled for this Friday, May 23, preceded by Thursday previews.
The aforementioned critical reception makes Lilo & Stitch one of the better-reviewed Disney live-action films ever. In terms of critic scores, it trails only behind Cruella, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book, which each earned 75 percent, 84 percent, and 94 percent ratings on RT.
Lilo & Stitch sits comfortably ahead of other live-action adaptations such as Snow White (39 percent), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (40 percent), Dumbo (46 percent), Alice in Wonderland (50 percent), The Lion King (51 percent), Maleficent (54 percent), Aladdin (57 percent), Mufasa: The Lion King (57 percent), and Beauty and the Beast (71 percent).
Critics who enjoyed the film praised it for its magical, heartfelt storytelling and often cited it as the best live-action remake in the Disney lineup so far. The remake's charm lies in its balance of humor, emotion, and faithful homage to the original 2002 animated classic. Some dissenting voices, however, questioned the necessity of the remake, suggesting it didn't bring enough new elements to justify its existence.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and scripted by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, Lilo & Stitch blends live action and animation in a fresh way. Maia Kealoha stars in her feature film debut as Lilo Pelekai, bringing youthful energy to the film. The original animated film's creator, Chris Sanders, returns to voice Stitch, adding a nostalgic element to the flick.
The supporting cast includes Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, and Courtney B. Vance, alongside returning original cast members Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee.
The story follows a lonely Hawaiian girl named Lilo who adopts Stitch, a genetically engineered alien who resembles a dog. Unaware of Stitch's destructive programming and the extraterrestrial forces hunting him, Lilo teaches him the true meaning of family, which is at the heart of the story.
With strong pre-sales reported from across Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and a decent showing in China, Lilo & Stitch is expected to pull in over USD 175 million worldwide during its opening weekend. The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 17, and with its positive buzz, it looks poised to write Memorial Day box office history.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Pink Villa
Ryan Gosling Not Playing Black Panther? Viral Meme Sparks False Rumors About Marvel Casting
Rumors that Ryan Gosling has been cast as Marvel's next Black Panther are entirely false. An insider with direct knowledge said there is 'not a vibranium ounce of truth' to the claim. Gosling has neither been approached nor considered for the role of Black Panther, originally played by the late Chadwick Boseman. The speculation gained momentum recently after an old meme resurfaced online. The image, which photoshopped Gosling's face onto Black Panther's body, first appeared back in 2018. It was reportedly used at the time by critics unhappy with Disney's diversity casting in other franchises. Now, years later, it has gone viral again, misleading some fans into believing a casting change was in the works. "Ryan has not been cast, nor has he been eyed, to play an iteration of Black Panther," the source told TMZ, shutting down the rumor. Here's where the Ryan Gosling Black Panther rumor started The renewed interest in the meme appears to have caused confusion, with many social media users reacting strongly to the idea of a white actor being cast as the iconic African superhero. The backlash was swift, with users accusing Marvel of potentially 'whitewashing' the role. Some also questioned whether this was connected to the studio's growing use of multiverse plotlines, which allow different versions of characters to appear across parallel universes. While Marvel does have a track record of using alternate realities in its storytelling, sources say this rumor has no connection to any future MCU project. Simply put, this storyline isn't in the cards. Letitia Wright, who took over the Black Panther mantle following Chadwick Boseman's death in 2020, is set to continue playing the character. She will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, further solidifying her position in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the false Black Panther rumors, Ryan Gosling is entering a major Disney-owned franchise. He's been cast in the upcoming Star Wars film Starfighter. While fans may see him wielding a lightsaber soon, he will not be donning the Black Panther suit.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Disney and Universal sue AI firm Midjourney for copyright infringement
Disney and Universal sued popular artificial intelligence image-generator Midjourney on Wednesday, marking the first time major Hollywood companies have taken legal action against a maker of generative AI technology that could upend the entertainment industry. The copyright lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court claims Midjourney pirated the libraries of the two Hollywood studios to generate and distribute 'endless unauthorized copies' of their famed characters, such as Darth Vader from the Star Wars franchise and the Minions from 'Despicable Me.' 'Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism. Piracy is piracy, and whether an infringing image or video is made with AI or another technology does not make it any less infringing," the companies state in the complaint. The studios also say the San Francisco-based AI company ignored their requests to stop infringing on their copyrighted works and to take technological measures to halt such image generation. Midjourney didn't respond to a request for comment but its CEO David Holz addressed the lawsuit in a weekly conference call with users Wednesday after someone asked if it would endanger the tiny startup's future. 'I can't really discuss any ongoing legal things because the world isn't cool like that, but I think Midjourney is going to be around for a very long time,' Holz said. "I think everybody wants us to be around.' In a 2022 interview with The Associated Press, Holz described his image-making service as 'kind of like a search engine' pulling in a wide swath of images from across the internet. He compared copyright concerns about the technology with how such laws have adapted to human creativity. 'Can a person look at somebody else's picture and learn from it and make a similar picture?' Holz said. 'Obviously, it's allowed for people and if it wasn't, then it would destroy the whole professional art industry, probably the nonprofessional industry too. To the extent that AIs are learning like people, it's sort of the same thing and if the images come out differently then it seems like it's fine.' The lawsuit against Midjourney comes as a number other AI companies have sought to make inroads into Hollywood and the video game industry, providing AI tools that can aid filmmakers and game developers in generating new video, synthetic voices and editing help. A movie industry group, the Motion Picture Association, said in a statement Wednesday that 'strong copyright protection is the backbone of our industry' and it supports a 'balanced approach to AI that both protects intellectual property and embraces responsible, human-centered innovation.' Endorsing the lawsuit Wednesday as a 'critical stand for human creativity and responsible innovation' was the Recording Industry Association of America, a music publishing group fighting its own legal battles against companies that make AI-generated music. Major AI developers don't typically disclose their data sources but have argued that taking troves of publicly accessible online text, images and other media to train their AI systems is protected by the 'fair use' doctrine of American copyright law. At the same time, many big tech companies are increasingly looking to make licensing deals to pay for the content their AI systems need. The studios' case joins a growing number of lawsuits filed against developers of AI platforms in San Francisco and New York. Meanwhile, the first major copyright trial of the generative AI industry is underway in London, pitting Getty Images against Stability AI, maker of an image-generating tool that competes with Midjourney.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
'Snow White' OTT release: Check out when and where to watch Rachel Zegler starrer
The dreamy glamour of the wicked queen's magic mirror and snow white's kindness is set to hit the screens at your home. The live-action remake 'Snow White' starring Rachel Zegler as the titular role and Gal Gadot as her evil stepmother is now available on an OTT platform. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now About 'Snow White' Based on the 1937 classic animated story 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the film revolves around a princess who runs away from her evil stepmother and finds solace by befriending the seven dwarfs. The OTT version will have special features such as a sing-along version, bloopers, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes featurettes, according to Mint. The criticism that followed the film... While the original film has been beloved for decades, Disney's live-action remake did not achieve the anticipated box office during its theatrical release. Along with marketing mishaps, such as criticism, controversially diverse political statements, the film was barred from achieving millions due to its creativity. The fans were upset about the CGI use on dwarfs and the costume designs. 'Snow White' OTT release Released on June 11, 2025, on JioHotstar in India and Disney worldwide, the cast of 'Snow White' includes Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Martin Klebba as Grumpy, Andrew Barth Feldman as Dopey, Ansu Kabia as Huntsman, and many more. According to the ETimes review of the film, 'In its 21st century adaptation, 'Snow White' updates itself to show that a princess doesn't need a knight in shining armour but at the same time, it doesn't quite manage to sweep you off your feet.'
