Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning Set Memorial Day Box Office Record

In a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend, moviegoers turned out in droves to watch two major releases: Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Both films delivered stellar performances at the domestic box office, pushing the holiday frame to historic highs.

Disney’s live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch opened with an impressive $145.5 million during its opening weekend. The film continued its momentum with an additional $37.5 million on Memorial Day itself, bringing its four-day total to $183 million. This result surpasses Top Gun: Maverick’s $160 million Memorial Day debut in 2022, setting a new record for the holiday weekend. Furthermore, the film now ranks as the second-highest four-day opening in U.S. history, behind only Black Panther, which grossed $242 million over President’s Day weekend in 2018.

Paramount’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning also made waves. The eighth installment of the franchise, led by Tom Cruise, brought in $63 million over the weekend and an additional $14 million on Monday, totaling $77 million domestically. This marks the best opening for a Mission: Impossible film, narrowly beating out 2018’s Fallout, which earned $61 million during its debut.

The box office surge was further bolstered by holdover hits. Final Destination Bloodlines added $24.5 million to its tally, Thunderbolts earned $11.6 million, and Sinners collected $11.2 million. Altogether, the Memorial Day weekend saw total box-office receipts hit $322 million — the highest in history for this holiday period, surpassing the previous record of $306 million set in 2013.

Preview Success and Early Momentum

Ahead of the weekend, Lilo & Stitch garnered strong buzz with $14.5 million in preview screenings, setting the bar for 2025’s biggest preview performance so far. Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning followed with $8.3 million in previews, also a franchise-best, surpassing 2023’s Dead Reckoning preview haul of $7 million.

Although Lilo & Stitch may not reach the heights of Disney’s biggest live-action adaptations like The Lion King ($191 million) or Beauty and the Beast ($174 million), it is well on its way to becoming one of the year’s top earners.

Box Office Forecast and Film Details

Industry forecasts had predicted a major showdown between the two tentpole releases. Lilo & Stitch, bolstered by limited competition in the family genre and positive word-of-mouth, was projected to open between $160 million and $175 million. The Final Reckoning was expected to secure second place with a debut in the $75 million to $85 million range.

Additional new release The Last Rodeo by Angel Studios debuted more modestly, with projections between $6 million and $8 million.

Here is a summary of the top new releases:

• Lilo & Stitch
  Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
  Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
  Rating: PG
  Runtime: 1h 48m
  Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68% (Fresh)
  Metacritic Score: 52% (Mixed)
  A heartwarming tale about a lonely Hawaiian girl who befriends a mischievous alien.

• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
  Director: Christopher McQuarrie
  Distributor: Paramount Pictures
  Rating: PG-13
  Runtime: 2h 48m
  Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80% (Fresh)
  Metacritic Score: 68% (Generally Favorable)
  The final chapter in Ethan Hunt’s journey, driven by choices and consequences.

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• The Last Rodeo
  Director: Jon Avnet
  Distributor: Angel Studios
  Rating: PG
  Runtime: 1h 58m
  Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70% (Fresh)
  A retired rodeo legend seeks redemption and faith while fighting for his grandson.

Final Rankings for the Weekend

According to Gold Derby’s box office predictions and final figures, the top five films of the weekend were:

1. Lilo & Stitch – $183 million

2. Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning – $77 million

3. Final Destination Bloodlines – $24.5 million

4. Thunderbolts – $11.6 million

5. Sinners – $11.2 million

The historic numbers indicate a vibrant resurgence in theatrical attendance, with audiences responding strongly to both nostalgic reimaginings and high-octane action franchises.

Source : www.goldderby.com