Disney’s Game-Changer: The Success of Lilo & Stitch
If Disney hadn’t already been reconsidering its Disney Plus streaming strategy, the overwhelming success of the live-action Lilo & Stitch should certainly prompt some introspection. Initially planned for release on Disney Plus, the film shattered expectations at the U.S. box office by raking in $183 million over the Memorial Day weekend, accumulating over $304 million globally. This impressive figure far exceeds the original film’s total theatrical earnings of $145.8 million back in 2002, showcasing how the franchise’s merchandise and marketability have significantly outpaced the reception of the original.
Disney’s remarkable achievement comes at a time when the theatrical industry is grappling with attracting audiences to match pre-pandemic box office figures. The studio’s own decision-making is also under scrutiny, as development for the Lilo & Stitch remake began in 2016, with an official announcement in 2018, when Disney intended to release the film directly to its then-unnamed Netflix rival.
The pandemic complicated the film’s development timeline, with significant progress only being made in 2022 when director Dean Fleischer Camp took over from Jon Chu. Even then, the project was still expected to debut on Disney Plus. However, a disrupted release schedule caused by pandemic-related delays and Hollywood strikes ultimately allowed Lilo & Stitch to hit theaters. The success of converting Moana 2 from a Disney Plus series into a billion-dollar theatrical film likely encouraged the decision to showcase Lilo & Stitch in 4,410 theaters.
The financial triumph of Lilo & Stitch coincides with another win for the theatrical industry, as Tom Cruise, who advocated for Top Gun: Maverick’s post-pandemic theatrical launch, returned with Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. This latest installment of the action series debuted with $77 million, facing minimal competition in the coming weeks. Perhaps every weekend needs its own cinematic event.
Regardless of opinions on Disney’s ongoing trend of animating to live-action remakes, the record-breaking Memorial Day weekend—totaling $326.7 million at the box office, buoyed by the successes of Final Destination: Bloodlines, Thunderbolts, and Sinners—is a clear victory for those who appreciate the cinematic experience. Rather than merely contributing to streaming content, Lilo & Stitch has reaffirmed the power of theatrical releases.
