Memorial Day Box Office Hits New Heights: ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Soars with $183 Million Debut While ‘Mission: Impossible’ Achieves Record-Breaking $77 Million!

Memorial Day weekend was a big hit at the box office this year, breaking records across the country. “Lilo & Stitch,” Disney’s live-action remake, led the charge with an impressive $145.5 million in its opening weekend, and by Monday, it had raked in an estimated $183 million. This amount set a new record for Memorial Day weekends, surpassing last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” which earned $126 million during the same timeframe. It also marked the second-largest debut for a four-day holiday, just behind 2018’s “Black Panther.”

On the other side, older audiences leaned toward “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which earned $63 million over the weekend and about $77 million through Monday. This eighth entry in the series achieved the best debut yet, narrowly beating “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” from 2018.

All these ticket sales contributed to a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend total of $322 million for all films, the highest since 2013. That year, “Fast & Furious 6” and other hits brought in $314 million collectively.

This weekend is significant for the film industry as it marks the start of the summer movie season, traditionally the most lucrative period. Historically, summer films account for around 40% of the annual box office, bringing in over $4 billion. Last year, though, was a disappointment, with just $132 million total—a stark contrast to this year’s excitement.

“Lilo & Stitch” also made waves internationally, grossing $158.7 million and reaching a global total of $341.7 million. With a production budget of $100 million and similar marketing costs, its success illustrates its broad appeal, just a couple of decades after the original animated version.

Experts like David A. Gross, from Franchise Entertainment Research, hailed the film’s opening as “sensational.” The audience score was also strong, spurring anticipation for future releases.

Meanwhile, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” added $127 million overseas for a worldwide total of $190 million, but its production budget was a staggering $400 million. This hefty investment means it needs a massive box office run to break even. Despite the film not receiving as favorable reviews as its predecessor, it still managed an “A-” grade on CinemaScore thanks to its action-packed sequences and Cruise’s relentless stunts.

Amid these major releases, “Final Destination Bloodlines” earned a respectable $19 million, bringing its North American total to $94.6 million. “Thunderbolts” followed with $9.5 million, and “Sinners,” an R-rated vampire film, rounded out the top five, showing strong performance with $339 million globally.

Interestingly, another Warner Bros. production, “Minecraft,” is close to hitting the $1 billion mark, currently at $940 million. It’s the top movie of the year so far, though “Lilo & Stitch” might soon challenge that title.

This year’s Memorial Day weekend has not only proven to be a successful kickoff for summer films but also reignited audience interest in theaters. Such strong box office numbers signal a hopeful recovery for the film industry, following a challenging few years impacted by the pandemic.



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Lilo & Stitch,Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning