Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning starring Tom Cruise led a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend at the box office.
The two films together brought in the highest Memorial Day ticket sales ever, with audiences of all ages turning out in large numbers.
Lilo & Stitch earned an impressive $182.7 million domestically over four days and $361.3 million worldwide. This marks the biggest Memorial Day opening in history, surpassing Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick which held the previous record with $160 million.
On Memorial Day alone, Lilo & Stitch made nearly $37 million. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opened to $79 million domestically, the best in the series, and $191 million worldwide. These numbers exceeded earlier estimates and set new franchise records, especially with strong IMAX attendance contributing $30.1 million globally.
The success of Lilo & Stitch was driven largely by nostalgia among Gen Z and millennials, especially women aged 13 to 44, many of whom grew up with the original film and related shows. Interestingly, 56 percent of ticket buyers were non-parents, showing the film’s broad appeal beyond families.
The movie also attracted a diverse audience, with Latinos making up 33 percent of viewers and setting records for Disney live-action openings in Latin America. Critics gave Lilo & Stitch a 70 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences awarded it an A CinemaScore.
Mission: Impossible drew an older crowd, with 54 percent of viewers over 55 years old. The film, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, holds an 80 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an A- CinemaScore. Its strong IMAX presence helped boost its global earnings.
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