‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ are projected to bring in roughly $150 million and $85 million, respectively|@Disney; @MissionFilm|X
Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s new Mission: Impossible franchise are expected to break box office records this four-day Memorial Day weekend.
The movie starring the popular kids’ character Stitch is projected to rake in over $150 million domestically, which would be a win for its $100 million production cost. However, Disney has spent nearly $100 million on global marketing.
Originally intended as a direct-to-streaming movie, Disney decided to release it in theaters after noticing sales of Stich merchandise shooting to $2.6 billion in 2024, compared to $200 million five years ago.
Nostalgia may play a role
The 2002 Lilo & Stitch cartoon movie is witnessing a nostalgic revival among Gen Z and Millennials.
Disney+ streaming hours of the animation film shot up to 546 million hours. Disney says it is now one of its 10 bestselling franchises.
Meanwhile, Tom Cruise’s movie could bring in roughly $85 million in North America.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the 8th film of the Ethan Hunt character and was shot at a whopping $400 million budget before marketing.
Could it be a “stitchpossible” weekend?
Experts opine these movies could help boost theatre ticket sales. Q1 domestic box office was down 11% from 2024.