The one-two punch of Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning helped fuel a record-breaking weekend at the box office. According to Deadline, all of the titles currently playing in theaters are expected to gross a combined $322+ million domestically, which would be the biggest Memorial Day haul of all time. The previous mark was set back in 2013, when the films earned $314.3 million collectively. Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake leads the pack with an estimated four-day debut between $175-180 million. Mission: Impossible comes in a distant second with a projected $77 million over the holiday frame.
Last week’s box office champion, Final Destination Bloodlines, is projected to fall to third this weekend with $24 million over the four-day weekend. Rounding out the top five should be Thunderbolts* ($11.5 million) and Sinners ($11 million).
Lilo & Stitch became the latest 2025 release to exceed early estimates. Initial box office projections that came out a few weeks before its debut pegged the film for $120 million domestically. It was able to be a much bigger draw thanks to positive word of mouth. Lilo & Stitch scored some of the best reviews for a Disney live-action remake in quite some time. The film was also able to capitalize on nostalgia for the original 2002 animated classic.
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Even before the full weekend estimates came in, both Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning were rewriting box office history books. The two titles set records during their preview screenings that took place on Thursday, May 22nd. The Final Reckoning established a new franchise high, while Lilo & Stitch had Disney’s highest-grossing preview night over Memorial Day weekend.
If these projections hold (there’s always a chance the numbers fluctuate over the next couple days), Lilo & Stitch will already rank as one of the year’s highest-grossing films. By the end of this weekend, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is estimated to earn $173.7 million total at the domestic box office. Lilo & Stitch is poised to top that figure in just four days. After the disappointments of Captain America: Brave New World and Snow White, Disney has a lot to celebrate over the holiday. Lilo & Stitch gives the studio a much-needed success, one that should be able to hold well for the next few weeks. There isn’t a new high-profile family film releasing until How to Train Your Dragon in mid-June.
As for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the current estimates are a little lower than what was initially reported. A few weeks ago, projections had it pegged for $80 million over the weekend. While $77 million is still within that ballpark, it makes it that much harder for The Final Reckoning to climb its way to profitability. The action sequel is budgeted somewhere between $300-400 million, meaning it needs very strong legs in order for Paramount to recoup its investment. Hopefully, the film can get a boost from the positive reviews of its own and help the Mission: Impossible franchise bounce back from Dead Reckoning‘s underwhelming grosses.
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