Lilo and Stitch to ECLIPSE MI8 at box office

The 2025 Memorial Day box office is seemingly off to a record-breaking start, with the release of Disney’s live-action 'Lilo & Stitch', poised to eclipse Tom Cruise’s 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' by a stunning margin. According to early estimates on the Hollywood Reporter, 'Lilo & Stitch' is on track for a staggering $170 million to $180 million domestic debut, positioning it to claim the title of biggest Memorial Day opening collection of all time. By contrast, 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' is expected to open with a franchise-best $78 million. Although the numbers are impressive, there's no denying the huge $100 million breakout performance of the children's alien comedy.The report states that 'Lilo & Stitch' was projected to debut at $120 million just three weeks ago, however, that figure climbed dramatically by Thursday, with early Friday estimates suggesting that the numbers could just dethrone 'Top Gun: Maverick' which scored an impressive $160 million Memorial Day opening.Adding to the irony was the fact that when the original animated 'Lilo & Stitch' hit cinemas in 2002, it opened alongside Cruise’s 'Minority Report' which narrowly scored a win at the box office battle.

Two decades later, the tables have turned for Cruise's re-match with the blue alien. While the film is a children's movie, nostalgia is proving a powerful draw for Gen Z and Millennials, many of whom grew up watching Lilo & Stitch and its spin-off series. Besides getting youngsters, the film is proving to be a huge draw for adults as well, alongside their families. Industry insiders compare the enthusiasm to the 2019 live-action 'Aladdin', which grossed over $1.1 billion globally.Originally slated for a Disney+ release, the live-action remake was given a modest $100 million production budget. Its theatrical success, driven by word of mouth and multigenerational appeal, has already exceeded all expectations.Meanwhile, 'Final Reckoning' made waves of its own at the box office during Thursday previews, earning a franchise-best $8.3 million — surpassing 'Dead Reckoning Part One' which earned an estimated $7 million and 'Fallout' which scored an estimated $6 million.

With an 80% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s expected to improve on the underwhelming $54.7 million debut of 'Dead Reckoning', setting a new high mark for the long-running spy franchise.However, unlike 'Lilo and Stitch', the financial stakes are much higher for Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt. With a jaw-dropping $400 million net production budget (excluding marketing) costs, 'Final Reckoning' needs a massive $1 billion global box office run to turn a profit.

According to the report, 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' are propelling the domestic box office to what analysts say could be the biggest Memorial Day weekend in history. While the buzz may not reach the fever-pitch of last summer’s 'Barbenheimer' (Barbie and Oppenheimer) phenomenon, this is shaping up to be one of the most lucrative box office clashes in recent memory.