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Great news for people who love movie theaters and want them to stick around: cinemas across the country just logged the best Memorial Day weekend box office in history with a massive $322 million across all films, per Variety. On the other hand, some potentially devastating news for people who hate Disney’s live-action remakes and want to see them do anything but stick around: it was Lilo & Stitch that led the charge with $183 million in just four days. That’s more than previously lauded savior of cinemas Top Gun: Maverick made within the same timeframe in 2022 ($160 million). And that’s not the only win for the ol’ Mouse House: Nü Lilo & Stitch just logged the second-highest start for any four-day weekend, behind only fellow Disney offering Black Panther, which made $242 million over Presidents’ Day weekend in 2018.
Live-action remake haters won a battle when Tangled was reportedly put on ice, likely in part because of the failure of Snow White. Lilo & Stitch has already earned $342 million internationally—more in just four days than Snow White‘s entire run. It seems the war will keep on raging; it’s hard to argue that there’s no money in regurgitating beloved childhood classics when a little blue alien is capable of turning this kind of profit.
Ethan Hunt jumped out of a plane to land right behind Stitch with $77 million. That’s a Mission: Impossible series best for The Final Reckoning, a stunt almost as impressive as the ones Tom Cruise completes throughout the film. “A record opening on the eighth iteration is remarkable. It speaks to the longevity of the franchise,” Paramount distribution chief Chris Aronson said in a statement, per Variety. “The spectacle of what Tom and McQ [director Christopher McQuarrie] put on screen is one-of-a-kind in today’s marketplace.”
The Final Reckoning may indeed be one-of-a-kind, but the weekend’s box office also got a boost from top 10 veterans, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Thunderbolts*, Sinners, and A Minecraft Movie. Check out the full, record-breaking top 10 below, courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
- Lilo & Stitch, $183,000,000
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, $77,000,000
- Final Destination: Bloodlines, $23,975,000
- Thunderbolts*, $11,800,000
- Sinners, $11,015,000
- The Last Rodeo, $6,266,716
- Friendship, $5,736,382
- A Minecraft Movie, $2,790,000
- The Accountant 2, $2,548,000
- Hurry Up Tomorrow, $860,000
