Lilo & Stitch Crushes Tom Cruise at the Box Office in Epic Rematch

In a turn of events, the film Lilo & Stitch (2025) will have an opportunity to outshine Tom Cruise at the box office. This Disney live-action remake is based on the beloved 2002 animated movie of the same name. The story revolves around Lilo Pelekai (played by Maia Kealoha), a girl who feels isolated, being raised by her older sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). Her life takes an unexpected turn when she befriends Stitch (Chris Sanders), an alien experiment who has escaped captivity and causes chaos wherever he goes. Dean Fleischer Camp, director of the 2023 film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, is at the helm for this movie’s direction.

Over Memorial Day weekend, the release of “Lilo & Stitch” got underway. By Sunday morning, it was anticipated to amass a total of $183 million over the 4-day holiday period at the domestic box office. This is far greater than the projected 4-day domestic total for its main competition, which is the Tom Cruise film “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” the eighth installment in the renowned action series. Although “The Final Reckoning” is expected to set a new opening weekend record for the franchise, its projected earnings of $77 million are only about half of what the Disney live-action remake is expected to make.

Lilo & Stitch’s Live-Action Remake Flips The Script On Tom Cruise

The Original Movie Debuted Opposite Minority Report

2025’s Lilo & Stitch’s box office triumph is impressive indeed, but it’s worth noting that Memorial Day weekend isn’t the only time Stitch has faced off against Tom Cruise in terms of release dates. Interestingly enough, the original Disney movie premiered on June 21, 2002, which was also the same weekend as Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, a film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella of the same name that starred Tom Cruise as Precrime commanding officer John Anderton, a character who must unravel the mystery behind why he is being accused of future murders.

In the year 2002, it was a close race between the two films, but “Minority Report” narrowly took the lead, claiming No.1 at the domestic box office with a debut of $35.67 million over three days. While “Lilo & Stitch” held its ground at the second spot (surpassing other holdovers like “Scooby-Doo,” “The Bourne Identity,” and “Spider-Man”), it lagged slightly behind with a debut gross of $35.26 million, never surpassing “Minority Report” in terms of domestic box office during its entire run. This slight edge of just $0.41 million made the victory for “Stitch” against Tom Cruise all the more satisfying.

Lilo & Stitch Conquered Two Tom Cruise Movies At Once

It Broke A Memorial Day Weekend Record

In its opening weekend, Lilo & Stitch not only outperformed Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning but is also projected to defeat another movie featuring Tom Cruise simultaneously. With an impressive $183 million 4-day gross and a staggering $145.5 million 3-day gross, this Disney production is poised to break records, surpassing the Memorial Day opening weekend earnings of Top Gun: Maverick, which was a blockbuster sequel that also featured Tom Cruise in its star-studded cast.

Lilo & Stitch & Tom Cruise’s Battle Is Not Over

There Is One Category Where Mission: Impossible Could Succeed

Apart from outperforming Minority Report at the box office, the film Lilo & Stitch is projected to surpass earnings of $1 billion worldwide. This figure would not only double but potentially even triple the total worldwide revenue accrued by the 2002 Tom Cruise movie during its entire run, which amounted to $358.4 million in global ticket sales.

Although Lilo & Stitch (the live-action remake) has had previous Oscar recognition, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning might surpass it at the 2026 Academy Awards if historical trends continue. While Minority Report and the original 2002 Disney animated movie each received one Oscar nomination, if The Final Reckoning maintains its momentum, it could potentially garner more Academy Award nods than Lilo & Stitch in 2026. Unlike Dead Reckoning (released in 2023), which was nominated for two Oscars, no Disney live-action remakes have been recognized since Cruella’s win in 2021 (for Best Costume Design). Therefore, if the past is any indication, The Final Reckoning could secure more nominations from the Academy.

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2025-05-25 18:58