‘Lilo & Stitch’ beats ‘Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning’ at box office

Image: Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Imagine that a “Stitch” beat a “Tom” at the box office! Hehe….

Naturally, I can’t use that as the title for my newest entertainment article; it doesn’t sound wholesome, but hey, it sounds funny to me. Haha…

Now, on a more serious note, time and time again, it has been difficult to predict or even know exactly which movie will be the best in its opening weekend, which will excel during its time in theaters, and which ultimately manages to tally the most box-office ticket sales. Because as strong as the star power, legendary IPs, and big movie studios may be, there’s never a guarantee.

However, what is certain is this: the taste of moviegoers can be fickle; it can change frequently, and sometimes they tire of watching the same type of films. I don’t think this reflects poorly on the legacy of the MI franchise but rather highlights the recent trend in Hollywood, indicating that the majority of moviegoers prefer “feel-good” films. Many seem to seek out more family-oriented movies that everyone can enjoy, from the youngest to the oldest members of the family.

A while back, I thought that “Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning” would be the clear standout among the highly anticipated releases, but it was the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” (2025) from Disney that surprised everyone, given the fact that it went up against the latest installment from the MI franchise. As far as I know, this is the first time in movie history that a brand-new Mission: Impossible movie got defeated in the box office gross in the same week that it opened alongside other entries. In the past, it was always the Mission: Impossible sequel that reigned number 1 during its initial run.

I attribute this surprising victorious outcome for “Lilo & Stitch” (2025) to the fact that the specific age group that watched the original animated movie has fond childhood memories of it, making it hard to resist seeing this new version on the big screen. For them, this is an opportunity that they can’t miss.

This brings me to this point: moviegoers are more than willing to give Disney another chance when it comes to live-action remakes or adaptations, provided the original animation resonates with their childhood. Why is that? Because it’s a safe bet in terms of enjoyment, they generally know what the movie will entail, yet they still choose to purchase tickets. And, no, they don’t think this will turn into a vomit-inducing “Snow White” disaster! Haha…. They were right about that. And when I say “they,” I am referring to the majority of the moviegoers. 

I think many have learned to no longer buy into hype or marketing or anything like that until they have watched the movie itself because even official teasers and movie trailers can be misleading because the reality is, for a long time already, the trailer shots are specifically filmed first, even before the actual movie itself. Why so? That’s because the official teaser and movie trailer are the top two most important aspects in promoting a movie, bar none. 

Especially in the last 15 years, anything that gets released goes straight to YouTube and social media besides being shown on television. Therefore, all movie studios assess all of that; they take the necessary risks involved in the equation because it has happened many times that when moviegoers listen to the opinions or criticism of the wrong people, they end up missing out on watching an excellent movie in cinemas because they let the thoughts of others get into their heads. And, fortunately for “Lilo & Stitch” (2025), many did not listen to these shady individuals, because there is a childhood connection to this live-action remake for many moviegoers who were kids when the original animated movie first came out and got to watch it.

Folks, we live in a day and age where everyone can break down a movie trailer and analyze things to “death,” but not many understand the inner workings, the system behind it, and have gotten fair exposure to how movies are made behind the scenes. I have. And when you combine that valuable insight with your own knowledge, passion, and natural analytical ability, it is a far better understanding than anything from amateurs who are either too quick to judge, or too harsh, or do it for all the wrong reasons. That is why you should listen to the right people only, because a lot of them hated the original animated movie of “Lilo & Stitch,” and they did not give a second to give its live-action remake a chance.

Now, let us get back on track after that side note. One last reason the latest installment in the MI franchise underperformed at the box office could be that some moviegoers may have grown tired of it. And, no, this isn’t a knock on the film series because they’ve all been entertaining, but there comes a point when audiences may not want to see another installment, especially since this franchise has been around since the mid-’90s on and off. That certainly factors into the disappointing turnout because, naturally, it is normal to have high expectations for any movie that has Tom Cruise in it, let alone when it is the most famous movie franchise he has been a part of in his legendary career.

When it comes to Disney, I can only hope that this will be the beginning of their redemption when it comes to their live-action remakes and they finally drop everything that is about being woke. Because this is what happens when you give the fans what they want when it comes to their favorites; they will watch it, plain and simple, and it does not matter what their movie will go up against. 

I will always root for Disney when they do things right because, my God, I practically grew up as a toddler to a young boy watching all the VHS tapes of their classic and legendary animated movies for the first time during those formative years of my life. Literally every single one of them, so I will never lose that fascination for Disney, as millions of other people will not either. 

It is true that there is something special still about Disney, no matter how many times they screw things up, destroy the most cherished animated movies ever, and still try to push forward the woke ideology. The reality is, there have been more years and decades that they got things right, and it is never too late to make things right once more for them. 

Indeed, the Disney brand in its name alone is still enough to convince almost anyone to still give it a shot, and this time it showed in the box-office numbers with the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” (2025).  /ra