The Entire Story Of The Alien That Tom Cruise Can Never Beat

Tom Cruise is a cinematic icon who rose to prominence in the 1980s, establishing himself as a leading figure in film with blockbusters such as “Top Gun” and “Days of Thunder.” Despite occasional shifts in popularity, he has maintained his status as a top-tier star. In an era when studios prioritize intellectual property over nurturing stars, Cruise continues to stand out. While discussions can be had about actors like Glen Powell being true movie stars who attract audiences solely with their names, there’s no disputing that Tom Cruise remains Hollywood’s last major action star.

Every time Tom Cruise has faced off with a small blue alien character named Stitch at the box office, he’s come up short. In 2002 and again in 2025, it was Stitch’s antics that audiences preferred over watching Tom Cruise pull off his latest death-defying stunt.

Why does it seem that Tom Cruise can‘t use his star power against the strong influence of “Lilo & Stitch” in films? What makes this movie resistant to Cruise’s star power? We’ve looked into this phenomenon, and here we share the entire tale of the competition between Tom Cruise and Stitch — two forces for good, fighting to save cinemas one movie at a time.

Why can’t Tom Cruise use his fame against “Lilo & Stitch” in movies? What about this animated film makes it immune to Cruise’s star power? We examined this rivalry, and here we present the complete story of the battle between Tom Cruise and Stitch — two characters who are trying to save theaters with their films.

Tom Cruise ruled in the early 2000s

At the turn of the millennium, Tom Cruise reigned supreme in Hollywood. Following two highly praised films, “Magnolia” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” both released in 1999, he continued his dominance with “Mission: Impossible 2” in 2000. Despite being criticized as the weakest “Mission: Impossible” film, it cemented Cruise’s status as a leading action star. Even an unconventional project like the 2001 movie “Vanilla Sky,” managed to earn over $200 million worldwide, demonstrating that Cruise’s fame was powerful enough to drive a film’s success.

2002’s “Minority Report” appeared perfectly poised to become a blockbuster movie. The sci-fi action genre was Tom Cruise’s forte, and with Steven Spielberg at the helm as director, it was shaping up to be an unstoppable box office success.

In the year 2002, I was riding high as Tom Cruise, with my latest action flick set to break box office records. However, an unforgettable moment on Oprah’s couch, where I expressed my feelings for Katie Holmes and made comments about postpartum depression management, stirred quite a storm. I suggested that women should opt for vitamins instead of antidepressants, which sparked criticism from many, including Brooke Shields. She firmly believed that proper medication had been instrumental in maintaining her mental health. Despite later apologizing to Brooke, the industry seemed to view me as tainted throughout the 2000s. But that was all in the future; for now, it was just another day on set, preparing for my blockbuster success. However, little did I know that a Disney animated movie would nip at the heels of my box office dominance.

Disney was in its flop era in the early 2000s

The period from the late 1980s to the early ’90s is often referred to as Disney’s Renaissance. Although Disney had pioneered Western animation with timeless classics like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” it faced some setbacks in the subsequent decades. However, the studio eventually found its footing again with a fresh wave of adored animated movies such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Lion King.” Regrettably, Disney struggled at the beginning of the 21st century, producing films that failed to make an impact at the box office.

1) The sequel to “Fantasia,” titled “Fantasia 2000,” brought in a total of $91 million globally on an initial investment of $80 million. In contrast, “The Emperor’s New Groove” boasted plenty of humor for grown-ups, but its earnings of $170 million didn’t exactly shine when put against its production cost of $100 million. Lastly, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” released in 2001, has since gained a devoted fanbase, yet its theatrical gross of $186 million pales in comparison to the $120 million it initially spent, indicating that audiences didn’t connect with it as much at first.

Despite varying opinions about the movies’ quality, they were not drawing large audiences at cinemas. This was significantly lower than “The Lion King” earning over $770 million during its initial release a decade prior. At that time, Disney handled distribution for Pixar films, but they didn’t own the studio until 2006. Thus, movies like “Monsters Inc.” or “Toy Story” can’t be considered as Disney triumphs. Therefore, there was a great deal of expectation on an alien with a mischievous nature and a blue hue.

Minority Report vs. Lilo & Stitch

On June 21, 2002, moviegoers faced a dilemma: they could opt for “Lilo & Stitch,” an animated Disney tale about a mischievous alien who lands on Earth and creates a family with two Hawaiian girls, or choose to watch “Minority Report,” a science-fiction action film set in a world where law enforcement can predict crimes before they occur.

Given that “Minority Report,” a PG-13 action movie starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, is generally expected to dominate the box office due to its high-profile cast and crew, it might seem that it would have come out on top in this hypothetical face-off. However, while “Minority Report” may have won the individual skirmish, “Lilo & Stitch,” the Disney film, ultimately triumphed in the long run. In terms of domestic earnings, “Lilo & Stitch” raked in $146 million, whereas “Minority Report” managed only $132 million. However, Cruise’s movie outperformed “Lilo & Stitch” globally, with a final gross of $358 million compared to the Disney film’s $275 million worldwide earnings.

In terms of budget considerations, the viewpoint shifts slightly, yet not significantly. The production cost of “Lilo & Stitch” was approximately $20 million less than that of “Minority Report,” which amounted to $102 million. This implies that both films made around three and a half times their initial investment, marking a successful outcome for both movies, their studios, and the audiences who enjoyed two excellent cinematic experiences. In essence, this contest could be considered a tie – a somewhat underwhelming result for Cruise, as his fame at the time suggested he should have dominated this matchup. However, it was Stitch who outshone him in this scenario.

Lilo & Stitch kicks off an empire

Following the massive success of “Lilo & Stitch” in years, Disney quickly seized the opportunity to explore the public’s interest in the grumpy, furry extraterrestrial. In 2003, just a year post its initial release, Disney produced a direct-to-video sequel titled “Stitch! The Movie.” This movie also acted as a precursor for “Lilo & Stitch: The Series,” which spanned over 67 episodes on ABC Kids and the Disney Channel.

2005 saw the release of another installment for the movie, titled “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch,” and the series gave birth to some quite unusual spin-offs by Disney. An anime called “Stitch!” was produced, along with a Chinese show named “Stitch & Ai.” Moreover, the alien earned one of Disney’s top accolades – his very own theme park attraction, Stitch’s Great Escape!, opened in Walt Disney World in 2004 and remained popular until it closed in 2018. Lastly, Stitch made a name for himself as a video game character, appearing in titles like “Kingdom Hearts II” and “Disney Infinity.

Over time, Stitch joined Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other timeless Disney characters as an official mascot, and since his initial appearance, enthusiasm for Stitch hasn’t waned. In 2024 alone, the “Lilo & Stitch” series generated a staggering $2.6 billion in merchandise sales, marking a significant increase from the approximately $200 million it brought in just a few years prior. Given these figures, it comes as no surprise that Disney aimed to prolong the success with a live-action “Lilo & Stitch” adaptation expected to sell even more merchandise.

The 2020s: The Tom Cruise resurgence

In the later part of the 2000s, Tom Cruise faced some difficulties. He had an emotional outburst on Oprah’s show, had a tense interview with Matt Lauer, and publicly criticized therapy and medications, which was related to his involvement with Scientology, a group often embroiled in its own scandals. Considering all this, it might have seemed likely that Cruise’s acting career would decline significantly. However, surprisingly, his workload remained consistent.

During this period, Cruise kept acting in movies, including smaller dramas like “Lions for Lambs” in 2007 and a colorful cameo in “Tropic Thunder.” However, things started to change around the release of “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” in 2011. Cruise gained attention for performing his own stunts, particularly scaling the Burj Khalifa, one of the riskiest feats in the “Mission: Impossible” series. Although he had performed his own stunts before, due to the increasing impact of the internet on popular culture, a larger audience became aware that this actor scaled the world’s second-tallest building.

Starting thereon, Cruise mainly focused his efforts on action-oriented roles. As the 2020s rolled in, Cruise gained renown for risking his own safety during filming of thrilling action scenes, a factor that probably contributed to the massive success of “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022, with earnings close to $1.5 billion. With such exhilarating stunts as leaping from a plane while wearing a flaming parachute in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” Cruise overshadowed his peculiar personal views, leaving spectators more captivated by his daring exploits than concerned about his beliefs. By 2025, Cruise was once again reigning supreme and eager to challenge Stitch again.

Disney struggles in the live-action department

In a world post-pandemic, Tom Cruise’s image has never shone brighter – however, the same can’t be said for the numerous live-action adaptations of Disney’s animated films. These spinoffs had been thriving for the studio previously, with “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” earning over $1 billion worldwide in 2019 each. However, the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020 led to theater closures, forcing them to shut their doors temporarily. Disney attempted to carry on releasing projects that were already in production, which saw “Mulan” and “Pinocchio” bypassing movie theaters entirely and going straight to Disney+ instead.

Despite resuming theater releases in 2023, movie earnings fell significantly short of those seen in 2019. For instance, “The Little Mermaid” (2023) made $569 million globally compared to its production budget of $240 million. On the other hand, “Mufasa: The Lion King” (2024) managed a decent $722 million at the box office, but this was significantly lower than the original 2019 “Lion King’s” massive $1.6 billion gross. This trend culminated in what could be considered one of Disney’s biggest flops in live-action remakes: “Snow White” (2025).

The movie struggled to earn more than $200 million globally, despite multiple reshoots and scandals such as the use of CGI for the dwarves. It appeared that the trend of live-action Disney remakes had lost its appeal in recent years, but “Snow White” was a dismal failure. However, it seemed that viewers were fed up with paying for unnecessary adaptations of classic animated films – yet they were on the verge of discovering an essential lesson: never underestimate Stitch.

Tom Cruise vs. Stitch: Round 2

On May 23, 2025, Tom Cruise and “Lilo & Stitch” went head to head at the box office once more. This time, Cruise featured in “Mission: Impossible — The Endgame,” though it might not be the final “Mission: Impossible” film, it certainly felt like the close of an era. Over the years, this action franchise has transformed from suspenseful spy tales into a platform for Cruise to perform death-defying stunts that keep getting more thrilling. The studio seems well aware of this, as they emphasized his latest high-risk feats in their marketing campaigns.

The remake of “Lilo & Stitch” as a live-action movie is simply referred to as “Lilo & Stitch.” While it largely retains the essence of the original, there are some significant alterations, such as a revised ending that contradicts the message of the first film. In this new version, Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong) leaves Lilo (Maia Kealoha) to pursue college in California. However, even this change didn’t seem to impact its success; the movie has already earned a staggering $773 million globally against a production budget of just $100 million, far surpassing the earnings of the original film.

Meanwhile, “Final Reckoning” has currently grossed approximately $450 million – a figure that seems satisfactory until you take into account its reported production cost of $400 million. However, even if the movie had been produced at a lower cost, it still pales in comparison to Disney’s creation. Contrasting the previous encounter, there’s no subtlety involved; “Lilo & Stitch” has decisively surpassed Tom Cruise in the second round. It appears that the title of “Mr. Movies” might be more fitting for Stitch, given its ability to draw millions of people to the cinema this summer.

Why does this keep happening?

Interestingly enough, it appears that whenever “Lilo & Stitch” has been released in cinemas, it’s been on the same day as a Tom Cruise film. This might seem unusual at first glance, but when you look more closely, it makes sense due to the industry strategy known as counter-programming.

In the realm of movie distribution, studios aim to maximize their earnings. To achieve this goal efficiently, it’s not advisable for them to release two movies catering to similar audiences during the same opening weekend, as doing so could result in one film eating into the other’s profits. Instead, they typically choose to distribute diverse types of films, ensuring that each movie doesn’t undermine the success of its counterpart. The notion that Barbenheimer was merely a funny internet trend overlooked the fact that it represented strategic counter-programming: one studio released a lively comedy, while another debuted a dramatic biopic on the same weekend.

The idea remains consistent when comparing “Lilo & Stitch” and Tom Cruise films. “Lilo & Stitch” is designed for family enjoyment, making it suitable for all ages, while movies like “Minority Report” and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” are action-packed, rated PG-13, and cater to a more mature audience, including teenagers and adults. Parents could choose to take their younger kids to see “Lilo & Stitch,” while the older ones might enjoy the new Tom Cruise film. Over time, these two types of movies have often complemented each other nicely, so it’s not surprising that Tom Cruise has now encountered Stitch twice in different settings.

Is Cruise vs. Stitch Round 3 in the works?

In the contest between Tom Cruise and Stitch, as seen on the scoreboard, it’s evident that “Lilo & Stitch” has emerged victorious in this round. In the first round, a tie is the most optimistic outcome, but the second round clearly favors Stitch, delivering a financial knockout punch. However, to definitively crown a champion, Cruise requires at least one more round to demonstrate his skills, and there’s a strong chance he might pull through.

While no official announcement has been made about a sequel for the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch,” Disney executives appear hopeful. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, suggested that the property could do well and potentially lead to more content. Given the franchise’s success in merchandising, a sequel could be quite profitable, especially if it introduces new alien characters for plush toys. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise has several projects underway, including “Top Gun 3,” which, if executed with the same care as its predecessor, may also reach $1 billion at the box office. Additionally, he is involved in a movie planned to be filmed in space.

Tom Cruise and Stitch could potentially find themselves dancing together again, or maybe Cruise will be careful not to schedule his next movie with a potential “Lilo & Stitch” sequel. However, our message to him is straightforward: Let this rivalry continue, perform even more daring stunts, and try to discover the key to defeating Stitch once and for all.

2025-06-10 00:31