Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch opened Friday, and so far, the little Hawaiian girl and the blue alien have been winning audience tickets. Opening day and preview screenings have grossed $55 million, meaning a possible record for Memorial Day opening weekends.
The Success of Lilo and Stitch
According to Variety, Lilo and Stitch has the second-biggest opening weekend of 2025 so far, “just behind the $57.1 million notched by A Minecraft Movie back in April.” Making $55 on opening day and preview screenings, the film even managed to beat out Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning, which made $24.8 million on its opening day. Lilo and Stitch’s figures mean that it could set a new record “for the biggest-ever Memorial Day weekend opening.”
The Future of Disney Remakes
Disney has been churning out live-action remakes of their animated classics for years now, and many audiences have gotten tired of them. After March’s Snow White was a box-office disappointment, grossing less than $205 million worldwide, some people suspected that the Disney remake era was over. Lilo and Stitch’s success, however, might mean that audiences are still curious about seeing their childhood favorites redone in live-action. Moreover, it seems like audiences can never get enough of Stitch, no matter what form he takes.
Was the Original Lilo and Stitch a Box-Office Success?
The original 2002 animated version came out at a rough time for Disney, when many of their animated films, such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and The Emperor’s New Groove, were struggling at the box office. However, Lilo and Stitch was one of Disney’s rare box-office successes in the early 2000s, grossing around $270 million worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, that is almost $500 million today. It remains to be seen whether or not the remake can match those numbers.
In any case, the remake offers a calming Hawaiian setting to get people excited for summer, and of course, it entertains with Stitch’s antics. In an increasingly uncertain world, the movie can remind people that ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind. Right now, that simple message can offer comfort, whether it comes from animation or live-action.
