Lilo, Lasers, and Long Runtimes: Memorial Day Weekend at the Movies Was MASSIVE
As expected, hell, as prophesied, this past weekend was an absolute monster for theaters. With Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Disney’s live action Lilo & Stitch tag teaming the holiday crowds, every screen in America had someone in it from toddlers to TikTokers to tired millennials dragging their kids along for nostalgia-fueled redemption.
Let’s start with the blue alien that broke the internet and now just broke the box office.
LILO & STITCH: SMASH MODE ACTIVATED
Lilo & Stitch absolutely dominated with a record-shattering $341.7 million worldwide… officially the biggest Memorial Day opening ever.
Domestically, it pulled in $183.9 million, just edging out its $157.8 million international haul. That's not just a win, that’s a Disney flex.
But here's the kicker: millennials didn’t just show up, they showed up in full force and dragged their little ones with them. This wasn’t just nostalgia bait, it was nostalgia done right. Add to that Disney’s genius Stitch campaign plastering the little guy all over parks, merch drops, surprise pop-ups, and cross-promotions and you’ve got a PR masterclass in reminding people, “Hey! Remember this? You love this!”
And love it, they did.
Let’s also not forget this IP isn’t just about movies.. it’s a merch juggernaut. Last year alone, the Lilo & Stitch brand pulled in around $2.6 billion in revenue for Disney. That’s right. Billion. With a “B.”
I said this movie was going to make all the money. And I meant it. It’s on its way to joining the billion dollar club and doing it faster than you can say “ohana.”
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING: CRUISE STILL GOT IT
Now let’s talk about Ethan Hunt’s last rodeo, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The film clocked in at a hefty $77 million domestic and racked up a strong $190 million worldwide. That’s the best opening in franchise history, which is no small feat for a series seven films deep.
But here’s the real story: this proves that people will hit the theaters multiple times in one week if the product is good. (Are you listening, July? Jurassic World, Superman, Fantastic Four… you’re on deck.)
The one caveat? This thing’s a three-hour juggernaut, and it’s not exactly being hailed as the best of the bunch. The “final chapter” marketing hook is doing heavy lifting here, and it remains to be seen if audiences keep coming back or if the runtime scares off the casuals. Still, it’s a strong start—and it shows Cruise still has box office pull.
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES – OUCH
And then there’s Final Destination: Bloodlines… yikes.
After a franchise best opening last weekend, it fell off a cliff with a 62% drop, pulling in just $19.2 million domestically in its second weekend. That’s a steep fall, and honestly, a bit surprising until you remember it had to square off against two absolute behemoths.
Still, with $182 million worldwide under its belt already, it’s far from a failure. But its legs might’ve just been snapped in true Final Destination fashion.
LOOKING AHEAD…
All eyes now turn to the next big domino: How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) dropping June 13th. That one’s bound to chomp into Lilo & Stitch’s momentum, so the question is—can Stitch crack the billion-dollar barrier before then? My guess? Either it gets real close… or it barely crawls over that line before Toothless swoops in to claim some screen space.
Regardless, summer has officially begun and this year, it's coming in hot.
