The live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch recently broke Memorial Day Weekend box office records as it grossed $183 million in its domestic opening.
The film is already becoming one of the biggest box office hits this year, not just in the summer season. It is also now likely to become a billion-dollar grosser if it continues to do good business in the coming weeks. So far, no American film this year has reached that milestone yet.
Here are the five reasons why Lilo and Stitch will likely join the billion-dollar movie club.
Record-Breaking Memorial Day Weekend Box Office
Lilo and Stitch made history as the biggest Memorial Day opening weekend box office of all time. It already grossed more than $300 million worldwide, recouping its $100 million production budget in its first weekend alone.
Based on the numbers and trends, you can safely bet that the film will likely be a billion-dollar grosser in the coming weekend, since it is a sign that there is strong anticipation for the film, and it will attract more audiences in the coming days or weeks.
Lack of Family-Friendly Movie Option
Lilo and Stitch is one of the few family-friendly movie releases this summer, making it easier for them to target the family demographic and avoid any significant competition.
As we've seen in the last few years, family-friendly films always tend to perform well at the box office since they are accessible to all audiences. It also helps that it is a Disney release, which is known to have a gigantic marketing machine among the family demographic.
Positive Word of Mouth
Unlike most of the recent Disney live-action remakes, Lilo and Stitch has been getting a lot of positive word-of-mouth from audiences who have seen it, as evidenced by its "A" CinemaScore.
This kind of reception from audiences might entice more people to check out the film in theaters, and a sign that it is widely appealing to them, even if there is a vocal group of people who are strongly against Disney's efforts to remake their animated classics into live-action.
The Wide Appeal of Stitch
Just like the original, Stitch has been the face of the film's marketing campaign, which is proven to be effective once again as the character continued to charm and caught the attention of many people.
Stitch has a huge appeal due to his cuteness and whimsical actions, which may easily entice viewers to check out the film as they want to see more of his antics on the big screen.
Strong Nostalgia for the IP
The original Lilo and Stitch remains one of the iconic Disney animated classics up to this day, as it also spawned a major franchise and a billion dollars worth of merchandise.
The Millennials and Gen Z's nostalgia for the IP definitely factors in on the success of the live-action remake so far, and it is potentially becoming a billion-dollar grosser by the end of its run.
With this and the other aforementioned reasons above, it's the formula for the film to make its way in the billion-dollar movie club and become one of the biggest box office hits of 2025.
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