Reviving Remakes? Live-Action "Lilo & Stitch" Crosses Major Box Office Milestone
This marks Disney's fourth billion-dollar box office triumph after three sequels broke the barrier in the last 13 months.
The new reimagining of Lilo & Stitch has proven to be a box office smash, being only one of two films this year to cross the billion-dollar threshold.
What’s Happening:
- The live-action adaptation of the Walt Disney Animation Studios 2002 classic, Lilo & Stitch, has crossed a major milestone.
- The live-action reimagining has officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, making it the first Motion Picture Association (MPA) title of 2025 to reach that figure. The film now stands as the #1 MPA release of the year both globally and internationally.
- This also means that Disney has now delivered four billion-dollar films in the past 13 months. Alongside Lilo & Stitch, the studio’s recent billion-dollar hits include Moana 2 from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, and Pixar Animation Studio’s Inside Out 2. All of which are sequels in existing franchises, save for the reimagining of Lilo & Stitch.
- Domestically, Lilo & Stitch opened with $183 million over the four days of Memorial Day weekend, setting a new record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend debut in history. The film is one of only two that have debuted this year to surpass $400 million at the North American box office.
- The film’s success has reignited interest in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, which first began with the original animated classic. Viewership of that film and related content on Disney+ has surged, with more than 640 million hours streamed. A live-action sequel (to the live-action film) is already in development.
What They’re Saying:
- Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment: “We knew there was a lot of love for Lilo & Stitch with audiences around the world, yet we never take that for granted, and we’re proud of how this new film has connected with people. I’m thankful to our filmmakers, our cast, and all on our Studio team who have made this film such a success, and we look forward to more adventures with these characters ahead."
Reimagined:
- While Lilo & Stitch has proven to be a big hit, a large number of fans of the original have been repeatedly voicing their displeasure with some of the changes that the live-action reimagining has made from the original source material.
- They of course, voiced their displeasure AFTER having paid for a ticket, helping that total increase.
- One moment that went viral addressed the changes made with the character of Pleakley, that left director Dean Fleischer Camp telling fans via TikTok “I Tried."
- Other changes that didn’t sit right with fans of the animated original are choices that Nani makes toward the end of the film (no spoilers here), as well as the complete absence of the main antagonist from the film, Gantu. Leaving Jumba (who is rather likeable in the original) to fill the role at a later point in the film.
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