Disney’s live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” has become the first Hollywood film to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, marking a successful theatrical debut for the family comedy. After eight weekends in theaters, the movie has earned $416.1 million in North America and $584.8 million internationally, for a global total of $1.001 billion.
Originally planned as a straight-to-streaming release, the film’s massive returns demonstrate Disney’s ability to mine significant revenue from theatrical releases with the right property at the right time. The studio has released four billion-dollar films in the past 13 months, including Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2”.
“We’re proud of how this new film has connected with people,” said Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman. “We look forward to more adventures with these characters ahead.”
The movie opened in late May to a massive $183 million domestically and $341 million globally, setting the biggest Memorial Day weekend debut in history. It remained No. 1 for three consecutive weekends and surpassed $400 million at the domestic box office.
The character of Stitch has maintained its popularity over the years, with merchandise sales reaching $2.6 billion in 2024. The franchise’s growth on Disney+ has also been significant, with more than 680 million hours of streams, driven largely by the original film and its sequels.
A live-action sequel is already in the works, promising more “Stitch mayhem” for fans of the beloved character.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/lilo-stitch-first-2025-movie-billion-dollar-global-box-office-1236459515