'Lilo & Stitch,' 'Mission: Impossible' boost movie box office to record
FILE PHOTO: Chris Sanders, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Courtney B. Vance, Kaipo Dudoit, Amy Hill and Stitch attend a premiere for the film \"Lilo & Stitch\" in Los Angeles, California, U.S. May 17, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
LOS ANGELES - Walt Disney's live-action remake of "Lilo & Stitch" and Tom Cruise's newest "Mission: Impossible" adventure brought crowds to movie theaters and helped set a box office record for the U.S. Memorial Day weekend.
Receipts for the top 10 films came in at $326.7 million in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore estimates of ticket sales from Friday through Monday. That topped the previous record of $314.3 million for the holiday weekend, set in 2013 when the sixth "Fast & Furious" film debuted.
The milestone provided positive news for the movie business, which remains below pre-pandemic levels in yearly ticket sales. Hollywood labor strikes in 2023 and competition from streaming services have hurt moviegoing.
Family audiences turned out for "Lilo & Stitch," a remake of a 2002 animated classic about a mischievous blue alien taken in by two sisters in Hawaii.
Cruise fans showed up to see the actor and his death-defying stunts in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." The movie is the eighth installment in the action franchise and is being promoted as Cruise's last appearance as fictional spy Ethan Hunt.
A slate of spring movies that appealed to audiences increased box office results over the past two months and helped boost interest among cinemagoers for this weekend's films, box office analysts said.
"That success has transitioned into significant momentum," said Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics for ticket seller Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory.
"Two major studios put out two very different films for very different audiences, and they yet again proved moviegoing is still an important piece of the fabric of pop culture," Robbins said.
Some earlier hits were still playing in theaters and contributed to the weekend's tally, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
"A Minecraft Movie," based on a popular video game, brought its global total to $940.6 million since its release in early April. Horror flick "Sinners" starring Michael B. Jordan rose to $339 million. Both were distributed by Warner Bros.
Year-to-date ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada totaled $3.1 billion, 22% higher than the same point in 2023, but 28% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, Comscore said. "Avengers: Endgame," the second-highest grossing movie of all time, was blowing up the charts in May 2019.
The new films this weekend also generated strong sales overseas.
"Lilo & Stitch" added $158.7 million in international markets for a global total of $314.7 million.
"Mission: Impossible," distributed by Paramount Global, racked up $205.5 million around the world, with $127 million coming from outside the United States and Canada.
Theater owners hope the enthusiasm continues through the summer, Hollywood's biggest season for moviegoing. Coming releases include a new "Superman" movie, a live-action remake of animated "How to Train Your Dragon" and "F1" starring Brad Pitt as a Formula 1 driver. REUTERS
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