Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch is proving unstoppable, holding the top spot at the domestic box office for its second weekend with a massive $60 million to $64 million haul, according to Variety and other reports. The family-friendly remake of the 2002 animated classic, which smashed records with a $182.6 million Memorial Day weekend debut, is still riding a wave of nostalgia and broad appeal, pushing its domestic total to an estimated $277 million to $281 million by Sunday, May 31, 2025. Meanwhile, Sony’s Karate Kid: Legends landed a respectable $7.5 million opening day, eyeing a $21 million to $23 million weekend, but it’s no match for the blue alien juggernaut or Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is holding strong in second place.
The Lilo & Stitch trailer, which dropped before its May 23 release, set the tone for its success, showcasing Maia Kealoha’s charming debut as Lilo Pelekai and Chris Sanders reprising his role as the voice of Stitch, the mischievous alien adopted by Lilo and her sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film leans into the heartwarming ʻohana theme, with Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba and Billy Magnussen as Pleakley adding comedic flair. The trailer’s vibrant Hawaiian setting, paired with Stitch’s chaotic antics—like setting a lūʻau table ablaze—hooked audiences, from kids to Gen Z and millennials who grew up with the original. Variety notes that non-families made up 57% of the opening weekend crowd, a testament to its wide appeal. With a $100 million budget, the film’s global gross has already soared past $400 million, making it one of 2025’s biggest hits.
Karate Kid: Legends, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, brings back Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han to mentor a new fighter, played by Ben Wang. The trailer, released ahead of its May 30 debut, tees up a nostalgic return to the Karate Kid universe, blending the 1984 original’s charm with the Cobra Kai Netflix series’ modern edge. It shows Wang’s character training under Chan and Macchio, with high-energy martial arts sequences and a nod to the iconic crane kick. Despite a strong A- CinemaScore, the film’s $7.5 million Friday (including $2.3 million from Thursday previews across 3,809 theaters) fell short of expectations, with some pre-release tracking hoping for $25 million to $30 million. Variety reports that Sony remains optimistic, banking on positive word-of-mouth and school breaks to boost its $45 million-budgeted run, but it’s stuck in third place behind Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise’s last outing as Ethan Hunt, is holding steady with a projected $26.7 million to $30 million second weekend, per Variety and Deadline, bringing its domestic total to around $122 million after a $79 million Memorial Day debut. The trailer for the action epic, with its jaw-dropping stunts, has kept audiences hooked, though its $400 million budget means it needs to keep climbing globally (nearing $300 million) to break even. The weekend’s other newcomer, A24’s horror flick Bring Her Back by the Talk to Me directors, is eyeing a modest $5 million to $7 million debut, with Sally Hawkins earning praise but not enough to crack the top three.
The box office is buzzing, with Lilo & Stitch leading a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend that saw $326.7 million in total ticket sales, topping 2013’s $314.3 million, per Reuters. Fans are raving online, with one calling Lilo “the family movie we didn’t know we needed,” while Karate Kid fans are hyped for Macchio and Chan’s chemistry, even if it’s not topping the charts. With summer movie season in full swing, Lilo & Stitch is proving Disney’s live-action remakes can still pack a punch when done right, while Karate Kid: Legends is hoping to find its footing with fans.