Early box office projections for the live-action Lilo & Stitch remake indicate the film will be a massive hit when it opens over Memorial Day weekend. According to Deadline, tracking data estimates the film will earn $100+ million domestically just in its first three days. That would probably be enough to beat Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (which also debuts Memorial Day weekend) for the top spot on the charts, but Deadline notes the action sequel is poised for a strong start of its own. Right now, projections have it setting a new franchise record for biggest opening, surpassing 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout ($61 million).
Lilo & Stitch‘s projected debut would be a much-needed rebound for Disney, which is coming off of Snow White‘s disappointing box office run. As of this writing, that live-action remake has only grossed $82 million domestically. If these estimates hold, Lilo & Stitch would actually post one of the biggest debuts ever for a live-action Disney remake, trailing only The Jungle Book ($103.2 million), Beauty and the Beast ($174.7 million), and The Lion King ($191.7 million). Depending on how high it goes, it could pass Jungle Book.
Though Snow White won the box office in its opening weekend, it got off to a rough start with only $42.2 million domestically. Marred by controversies and mixed reviews, the film did not have strong legs and lost the top spot to the Jason Statham vehicle A Working Man in its second weekend. To date, Snow White has earned $182.3 million globally against a $270 million production budget.
[RELATED – Lilo & Stitch Live-Action Made a Big Change to Stitch (and It’s for the Best)]
It’s too early for reactions for Lilo & Stitch to be out, but the film seems to be in a much better place than Snow White at this stage of its marketing campaign. Disney has made sure to highlight the adorably destructive Stitch in promotional materials, illustrating how it could be a refreshing change of pace for the studio’s live-action remakes. Audiences are responding well to director Dean Fleischer Camp’s approach, raising anticipation for Lilo & Stitch.
If Lilo & Stitch opens as strong as the estimates suggest, it would be a great development for Disney. Snow White wasn’t the studio’s only box office disappointment this year. February’s Captain America: Brave New World became one of the lowest-grossing MCU installments; it only took A Minecraft Movie two weekends to surpass it as 2025’s top film. Additionally, early box office estimates for Thunderbolts* (which kicks off the summer movie season on May 2nd) indicate it will have a soft debut in the range of $70 million. The one-two punch of Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could be just what theaters need.
Besides giving Disney a short-term boost at the box office, Lilo & Stitch could also have a positive impact on the studio’s long-term plans. Should it be this successful, it would mean Disney’s live-action remakes are still a viable strategy — the Mouse House just might need to be more selective about which titles receive this treatment. The animated Lilo & Stitch debuted in 2002, meaning the remake has considerable cross-generational appeal, tapping into nostalgia adults have for the original. Lilo & Stitch could bode well for Moana, another more modern movie getting a live-action remake.
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