Record-Breaking Memorial Day Weekend at the Box Office
A week after achieving the best Memorial Day Weekend performance on record, the domestic box office experienced a remarkable recovery, posting over a 55% improvement compared to the same time last year. Leading the charge were Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which retained the top two spots despite seeing identical drops of 57% in their earnings.
Disney's continued success has solidified its dominance in 2025, capturing a 30% market share and surpassing $1 billion in earnings so far this year. The live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch has particularly shone, bringing in an estimated $63 million in its second frame alone, while reaching a domestic total of $280.1 million, thus pushing past Sinners’ previously held domestic earnings of $267 million.
Performance of Major Releases
The remarkable surge places Lilo & Stitch as the second-highest domestic earner of the year, just behind the yet-to-be-released animation blockbuster, A Minecraft Movie, which stands at $422.95 million. Ridiculously successful, Lilo & Stitch is now the sixth biggest earner among Disney’s live-action remakes, sitting comfortably ahead of Maleficent and poised to soon surpass Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, and The Jungle Book.
Globally, Lilo & Stitch has amassed a total of $610.8 million, surpassing Tangled and aiming to soon outpace Ratatouille and The Incredibles. Internationally, it found considerable success with Mexico, the UK, and France enjoying significant ticket sales.
Challenges for New Entrants
In contrast, Sony’s reboot of the cult classic, Karate Kid: Legends, had a disappointing debut, grossing only $21 million against expectations. This was a decline from the earlier Jackie Chan-led remake, which opened at $55.66 million. This lackluster performance can be attributed to several factors including the film’s reliance on nostalgia and the absence of both a unifying cast and tone that could attract audiences.
Despite earning an overall positive audience response—90% on audience ratings with an A- CinemaScore—the film enrolled ineffectively against a strong week of competition, resulting in it failing to spark significant interest.
Maintaining Momentum Among Holdover Films
Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning held second place with a robust $27.2 million in its second weekend, maintaining solid momentum as it approaches a total of $122.6 million domestically. The film is currently well-positioned to top the global box office, especially following a strong opening in China where it amassed over $25.2 million.
A24’s new supernatural thriller Bring Her Back launched to promising numbers, gaining around $7 million in its first weekend. Despite stiff competition from returning champ Final Destination: Bloodlines, it distinguished itself well, and with a decent production budget, could see profitability as it continues to expand internationally.
Wes Anderson's Latest Venture and Future Releases
Director Wes Anderson’s latest offering, The Phoenician Scheme, debuted on limited screens, achieving the highest per-screen average of the year, though the numbers were modestly lower than his previous releases. Critically regarded, the film will expand to 1,500 screens next weekend.
Looking ahead, Lionsgate is banking on the John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, which has garnered public interest due to its connection to the successful franchise, whereas Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of a Stephen King work is also positioned for a limited release to build audience appeal.
Looking Forward
This weekend's total box office gross reached approximately $261.7 million, signifying a 59.7% increase from the previous week. The domestic landscape appears to be reinvigorated and poised for continued strong performance as the summer blockbuster season progresses.
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