‘Lilo & Stitch' Box Office Mayhem: All the Records Broken as Pic Zooms Past $400M Globally

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a day ago

Talk about threading the needle perfectly.
A week ago, no one could have imagined that Disney's live-action reimagining Lilo & Stitch would make box office history and open to a record-breaking $182.6 million during the four-day Memorial Day weekend, including $146 million for the three days. Overseas, the live-action redux of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl and mischievous, dog-like alien also exceeded all expectations in starting off with $178.6 million for a global start of $361.2 million against a net budget of $100 million.
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The pic is adding another milestone to its list today as it crosses the $400 million mark globally, including $200 million domestically in its sixth day in release — more than the total lifetime runs of some live-action Disney reimaginings. It's already out-grossed the entire $273.1 million global of run of 2002's animated Lilo & Stitch, not adjusted for inflation. To boot, it's pacing ahead of Warner Bros.' blockbuster A Minecraft Movie, at least in North America. In its sixth day in release, Minecraft had earned $193.2 million domestically.
One would be hard-pressed to find another movie like Lilo & Stitch. Three weeks ahead of its release, it was tracking to open to $120 million domestically. A week later, it was a $145 million, followed by $165 million on the eve of the film's May 23 U.S. debut. Almost no one can think of a similar title popping like that, perhaps because few realized that Lilo & Stitch isn't just a kids film. Non-families made up 57 percent of the opening weekend audience, underscoring that the property is hallowed IP for Gen Zers and younger millennials, or 'zillennials.'
When a PG-rated family film can attract general audiences, it's a recipe for magic. A Minecraft Movie, the top-grossing movie of the year to date, is another example. Ditto for A Super Mario Bros. Movie and Wicked, or Disney's Aladdin.
Below are the records and other notable feats Lilo & Stitch has achieved, not adjusted for inflation.
Tom Cruise knew there was no way Mission: Impossible was going to beat Lilo & Stitch, but he likely didn't expect an adorable alien creature to unseat his 2022 feature Top Gun: Maverick ($160.5 million) as the biggest Memorial Day opener of all time. Other top Memorial Day earners include Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($139.8 million), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($127 million) and X-Men: The Last Stand ($122.9 million).
In North America, Lilo also boasts the second-biggest gross of all time for any four-day holiday weekend, behind the $242 million historic opening of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther over Presidents Day weekend in 2018. The top Martin Luther King Jr. holiday opening belongs to 2020's Bad Boys for Life ($73 million), while 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the Labor Day crown holder ($94.7 million).
The only two titles to open higher were 2019's The Lion King, which remains ruler of the pride with a $192 million start domestic start, followed by 2017's Beauty and the Beast with $175 million domestically. Again, it's the three-day number that determines the order. Without that industry rule, Lilo would be the second-biggest opening ever for a Disney live-action pic. Either way, it is only the fifth live-action reimagining to open to north of $100 million domestically. The other two were 2010's Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million) and 2016's The Jungle Book ($103.3 million). And globally, Lilo has already out-grossed the entire runs of 2025 debacle Snow White ($204.2 million), 2016's Alice Through the Looking Glass ($299.5 million) and 2019's Dumbo ($353.3 million).
On Memorial Day, Lilo & Stitch delivered one of the biggest grosses of all time for a Monday, with $36.6 million in ticket sales. That puts the movie in rarefied air, considering the top earners are 2018's Black Panther ($40.2 million), 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($40.1 million), 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home ($37.1 million) and 2019's Avengers: Endgame ($36.9 million). Lilo took the spot previously held by Top Gun: Maverick ($33.8 million).
Since box office openings officially are ranked by the three-day weekend number, Minecraft still sports the top domestic start of the year to date. Lilo's three-day gross was $146 million. A Minecraft Movie, which debuted to $162 million, presently sits at $940.7 million globally. It's unlikely to become the first Hollywood title of 2025 to join the $1 billion box office club. Could that be a feat for Lilo & Stitch?
Lilo & Stitch wowed across Latin America to seize the highest opening ever for a Disney live-action remake. Mexico led all markets with $27 million, while the third top market was Brazil with $12.2 million. Europe was also strong, where the U.K. led with $17 million. It's overall international start of $178.6 million is the fourth-biggest ever for Disney live-action.
Not bad. Lilo & Stitch joins the top 10 list of biggest openings for a PG title. Disney's film empire lays claim to eight of those, led by The Lion King, 2018's Incredibles 2 ($182.7 million) and Beauty and the Beast. Warners' Minecraft movie follows in fourth place. Then it's back to Disney with 2024's Inside Out 2 ($154.2 million), and followed by Universal's 2023 hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146.6 million). Next up is Lilo with $146 million, followed three other Disney releases: 2024's Moana 2 ($140 million), 2016's Finding Dory ($135 million) and 2019's Frozen II ($130 million).
Disney's live-action redo and Tom Cruise's final Mission: Impossible movie fueled the biggest start-of-summer holiday weekend of all time. Combined ticket sales for all films cleared nearly $330 million. The previous best Memorial Day frame in terms of overall revenue belonged to the $306 million in ticket sales collected in 2013 when Fast & Furious 6 zoomed to $117 million, followed by The Hangover Part III with $50 million.
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