5 Reasons Why ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Shattered Memorial Day Box Office Records

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Over the Memorial Day weekend, Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” made a stunning debut at the global box office, raking in an impressive $183 million domestically and $341 million worldwide. This success was fueled by a strong mix of nostalgia, appealing family-oriented characters, and a reinvigorated movie theater market.

The ticket sales surpassed “Top Gun: Maverick” from 2022 (earning $126 million over the weekend and a total of $160 million in four days) as the record-breaking Memorial Day weekend opening. Moreover, “Lilo & Stitch” achieved the second most significant start during any four-day holiday weekend, trailing only behind 2018’s “Black Panther,” which accumulated an impressive $242 million over Presidents’ Day.

David A. Gross from the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research remarks, ‘This is an exciting start!’ He adds that it caters to a wide audience.

The success of “Lilo & Stitch” serves as a reminder that Disney should be more discerning when it comes to live-action remakes, especially considering the underperformance of their recent “Snow White” reboot. This year’s reboot struggled to generate interest with modern audiences, accumulating only $204 million worldwide against a budget of $250 million. On the other hand, “Lilo & Stitch,” which is based on the 2002 animated film and had a production budget of $100 million, managed to surpass the total box office earnings of “Snow White” within just four days.

Here are five reasons why “Lilo & Stitch” shattered box office records in its opening weekend:

Your parents’ — not your great grandparents’ — favorite cartoon

Lilo & Stitch” – a comedy that revolves around an out-of-this-world alien who accidentally lands in Hawaii and finds a home with a young girl and her older sister, is back in theaters! This revisit offers a slightly fresh take on the original adventure, which has been cherished by families for over 23 years on Disney+. With time passing, millennials are experiencing a wave of nostalgia for this blue mayhem character, and they’re now bringing their children to the movies. However, it’s not so long ago that people haven’t forgotten the magic of the initial film. In recent times, big-screen adaptations like “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King” have followed a similar trend. These blockbusters, earning billions, were based on classic Disney titles from the ’90s.

Simultaneously, the movies “Snow White” from 2019, “Dumbo” from 2019, and “Mary Poppins Returns” from 2018 were adaptations of rather old stories. For instance, the original “Dumbo” debuted in cinemas as early as 1941, during World War II and before color television was even invented. However, there are exceptions: The remake of “The Jungle Book” in 2016 managed to rake in a staggering $967 million despite being released 50 years after the initial film. Conversely, the anticipated “The Little Mermaid” in 2023 didn’t meet expectations, earning only $569 million, even though the original underwater musical was extremely popular in the late 1980s.

As a cinephile reminiscing the early 2000s, I can’t help but notice the resurgence of turn-of-the-century nostalgia. ‘Lilo & Stitch’, a gem from that era, has once again captivated audiences, particularly millennials and Gen Z, solidifying its status as a generational classic.

Disney has temporarily halted the live-action revival of the 2010 movie “Tangled,” as it might be premature to revisit this storyline. On a different note, Disney is moving forward with an innovative project – a remake of “Moana” set to debut in summer 2026.

Robbins notes that it’s only a matter of time before Disney explores more remakes from their contemporary collection, as ‘Lilo & Stitch’ has undeniably paved the way.

Stitch never goes out of vogue

It seems that Stitch has grown into a distinct brand all its own. For more than two decades, “Lilo & Stitch” continues to be a fan favorite on toy store shelves. From plush toys and pajamas to sleeping bags and Squishmallows, the Stitch-themed merchandise has significantly contributed to the success of this property, making it one of Disney’s top 10 highest-grossing franchises with retail sales amounting to over $2.6 billion in 2024 alone.

According to Robbins, “Stitch has evolved into a contemporary symbol for the brand, potentially more well-known and relatable to modern young families compared to the classic characters from the studio.

Moreover, it’s worth noting that Disney+ has experienced substantial growth in viewership annually, as reported by studio insiders. The franchise has accumulated over half a billion minutes of streaming time, with the original content accounting for an astounding 280 hours. In other words, there’s been quite a bit of chaos from Stitch and friends!

Power of PG movies

Movie theaters in Hollywood find that showing family-friendly movies often encourages more families to go to the cinema, creating a cycle of moviegoing. Compared to the six PG-rated movies released nationwide during the same period in 2024, nine such films have been introduced since January 2025. Families, an essential demographic for theater owners, have enjoyed films like “A Minecraft Movie” and “Dog Man,” which have also served as a platform to promote upcoming family-friendly titles like “Lilo & Stitch.” This method of advertising is particularly effective for movie theaters.

Healthy competition

Interestingly enough, you might find it surprising that “Lilo & Stitch” has previously competed with Tom Cruise at the box office. In 2002, the animated film “Lilo & Stitch” trailed Cruise’s sci-fi hit “Minority Report” when it debuted in second place. However, this time around, the tables have turned, with “Lilo & Stitch” taking the top spot over “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”. This film, being the eighth installment of Cruise’s ongoing spy series, earned $77 million in its opening weekend. In the aftermath of the pandemic, it has become evident that films like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”, or last Thanksgiving’s trio of “Wicked”, “Gladiator II”, and “Moana 2”, which offer alternative options to audiences, don’t eat into each other’s earnings. Instead, they contribute to larger overall attendance figures that a single successful film might not be able to achieve on its own.

According to senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, counterprogramming isn’t just a temporary trend or fad; it consistently works for multiple reasons, one of which is the built-in marketing advantage that such a matchup offers.

This past weekend, “Lilo” and “Mission” collected a total of $322 million from all films, making it the highest-grossing Memorial Day weekend in over a decade. The previous record, set in 2013 with $314 million, was held by “Fast & Furious 6,” “The Hangover Part III,” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Fewer people had visited the cinemas during a holiday weekend since then.

Disney regains its magic touch

Following a turbulent period following the pandemic, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, who appears to have no plans for retirement, has successfully steered the movie studio back on course. The company faced difficulties in part due to an excessive focus on quantity rather than quality in their productions. Upon his return at the end of 2022, Iger has placed greater emphasis on producing high-quality films, even if it means a reduced number. With movies typically taking several years from conception to completion, the fruits of these efforts are now becoming evident at the box office. Last year saw “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2” and “Mufasa: The Lion King” among its top releases, while “Avatar 3” and “Zootopia 2” are anticipated to dominate in the coming months.

As a movie lover, it’s no secret that not every film will be a blockbuster hit. For instance, “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts,” released in February and May respectively, might face difficulties recouping their $180 million budgets at the box office. Adding to the challenge is this summer’s Pixar production, “Elio,” which isn’t based on any established intellectual property. However, when it comes to financial misses, Disney seems to be in a league of its own compared to other studios. This is evident even with a few underperforming films; Disney has already surpassed $2 billion at the global box office this year, making them the first studio to reach this milestone. Indeed, the Magic Kingdom’s enchantment knows no bounds!

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2025-05-26 18:47