Two high-profile releases are set to transform the Memorial Day corridor into the richest weekend cinemas have seen in years. Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning open today across North America, with industry trackers predicting a combined domestic launch that could eclipse previous holiday highs.
Momentum surfaced in Thursday previews. Lilo & Stitch collected an estimated $14–14.5 million, narrowly surpassing the $14.1 million earned by Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018 and giving Disney its strongest preview haul ever for the long weekend. The Tom Cruise vehicle followed with $8 million, a record late-night take for the Mission series.
Forecasters now peg Stitch’s four-day domestic start at $150–160 million. The Final Reckoning is tracking at $75–85 million in the United States and Canada and roughly $200 million worldwide, numbers that would deliver the franchise’s biggest opening yet and provide a much-needed jolt after Dead Reckoning’s soft 2023 run.
“May is shaping up to be one of the best on record,” Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, crediting a fresh slate after strike-related delays and sustained audience enthusiasm for event titles.
Disney, still recovering from Snow White’s underperformance, kept Stitch’s production budget near $100 million and leaned on nostalgia-heavy marketing; the early surge suggests renewed faith in its remake strategy.
Paramount and Skydance face a steeper climb: industry estimates place Final Reckoning’s cost north of $400 million, meaning even a record launch must translate into a lengthy global run to land in the black.
