Lilo & Stitch is shaping up to be a winner for Disney commercially and critically, as the live-action remake has posted a strong Rotten Tomatoes score. As of this writing, the film sports a critics score of 74% on the aggregator, with 46 reviews (and counting) submitted. While that figure is lower than the original 2002 animated film (86% from 151 reviews), it’s a nice rebound when compared to the last batch of Disney live-action remakes. Lilo & Stitch‘s 74% is the highest critics score since 2016’s one-two punch of The Jungle Book (94%) and Pete’s Dragon (88%).
Over the last several years, Disney’s live-action remakes have struggled with critics. Many of them (even box office hits like Aladdin and The Lion King) are rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. A handful of these adaptations have fared better, but 2020’s Mulan is the last one to earn the Certified Fresh label. 2021’s Cruella posted a 75% critics score, but that film is not a remake of a pre-existing Disney animated film despite drawing from 101 Dalmations source material.
Lilo & Stitch is gearing up for its premiere over Memorial Day weekend, where it should form a formidable box office duo with action sequel Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Projections indicate those two films should lead what could be a record-breaking holiday frame, with Lilo & Stitch estimated to earn $120 million domestically all on its own. The original animated film grossed $273.1 million worldwide.
[RELATED – First Lilo & Stitch Reactions Tout Heart & Humor: “One of the Best Live-Action Disney Remakes”]
Disney needs Lilo & Stitch to become a well-received box office hit. The studio’s last live-action remake, Snow White, was a bomb. Hamstrung by negative reviews and backlash, Snow White earned just $204.8 million globally against a production budget in the range of $240-270 million. Disney’s had an uneven 2025 so far; Captain America: Brave New World was another box office disappointment while Thunderbolts* has posted solid yet soft figures (by Marvel standards).
During the Lilo & Stitch marketing campaign, there were signs this would be a bounceback for Disney’s live-action remakes. What stood out is how the approach differed from other remakes; Lilo & Stitch has a reported production budget of $100 million (a bargain compared to some recent titles), and director Dean Fleischer Camp impressed with his commitment to shooting on real locations. The live-action Lilo & Stitch seems to be a faithful reimagining of the animated classic, which many appreciate. It proves there is a way for Disney to successfully pull off these remakes, which bodes well if the studio wishes to keep producing them. It’ll be interesting to see how the live-action Moana fares next year.
Even before the reviews came out, Lilo & Stitch was poised to be a box office juggernaut, mixing nostalgia with family appeal to become a massive hit. If anything, the word of mouth will help the projections go up. There have already been multiple titles this year that have exceeded expectations during opening weekend thanks to positive reviews. It’ll be a tall order for Lilo & Stitch to soar past $120 million in four days, but should the Rotten Tomatoes score improve over the next few days, it might be able to do it.
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