Back in March, a trailer for Disney’s live-action/CGI remake of “Lilo & Stitch” was released. It happily didn’t look like a shot for shot remake, and Chris Sanders returning to voice Stitch certainly helps its cause.
Projections now suggest that “Lilo & Stitch” could earn around $120M over Memorial Day weekend. Also being released that same weekend, “Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning,” which is expected to have an $80M haul. If these forecasts hold, the overall box office could hit a record-breaking $314M for the holiday weekend.
In addition, “Lilo & Stitch” has become the second-highest first-day ticket seller ever for a Disney live-action film on Fandango at this stage in the sales cycle, trailing only 2019’s “The Lion King.”
Much like “Moana 2” before it, “Lilo & Stitch” was originally set for a Disney+ streaming debut before being switched to theatrical release in 2024. The inevitable result is that it’ll probably make boatloads of cash at the summer box office.
The remake is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, and starring Maia Kealoha as Lilo, with Lilo & Stitch creator Sanders reprising his voice role as Stitch. The rest of the ensemble includes Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, and Tia Carrere.
The 2022 film was beautifully animated, featuring the best usage of pink clouds since “Dumbo,” but it was really Stitch who stole the show — a mischievous, genetically-engineered alien experiment with blue fur and a love for chaos.
“Lilo & Stitch” is set to hit theaters nationwide on May 23.