Summer Box Office Is On Fire: “Lilo & Stitch” & “Mission: Impossible” Lead the Charge While Newcomers Make a Splash
The summer movie season is already off to a blazing start—and we're just getting warmed up. Memorial Day weekend lit the fuse with record-breaking numbers, and the post-holiday weekend didn’t let up. According to Sunday estimates from studios, the North American box office brought in a healthy $149 million over the weekend. That’s a jaw-dropping 120% jump from the same time last year. Yes, you read that right—120%!
One thing’s for sure: moviegoers are back in a big way, and Hollywood is finally breathing again.
🚀 Still Blazing at the Top: “Lilo & Stitch” & “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
In a stunning repeat performance, Disney’s live-action-meets-animation hybrid “Lilo & Stitch” held on tightly to the No. 1 spot for the second weekend in a row. Raking in $63 million across 4,410 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, it’s now officially the second-highest-grossing movie of the year. Its domestic haul has reached a scorching $280.1 million, while its global earnings have soared to $610.8 million. Safe to say: Stitch is here to stay.
Just behind it, in second place, Tom Cruise’s high-octane spy thriller “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” delivered a cool $27.3 million from 3,861 theaters. While that’s a 57% drop from opening weekend, it still brings the movie’s domestic total to $122.6 million. Not bad for the eighth installment in a franchise that just refuses to slow down. Overseas, things are heating up too—especially in China, where it just launched with $25.2 million, contributing to a global total of $353.8 million.
But with a reported $400 million budget, Paramount has a bit more ground to cover before it can call this one a win.
💥 Newcomers Bring Heat: “Karate Kid: Legends” and “Bring Her Back” Impress
Leading the charge among the newcomers was Sony’s “Karate Kid: Legends,” which pulled in a solid $21 million from 3,809 theaters. This family-friendly reboot delivers a nostalgic punch by reuniting Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, this time mentoring a young martial arts prodigy named Li Fong, played by Ben Wang.
Despite mixed reviews from critics, audiences came out in support—giving it an A- CinemaScore and a 4.5-star rating on PostTrak. Add to that the modest production budget of $45 million, and Sony’s already on a good path toward profitability. Plus, with no major family flicks in the pipeline for a few weeks, it has room to grow.
👻 Horror's Haunting Hit: “Bring Her Back”
Rounding out the top five was A24’s psychological horror “Bring Her Back,” which scored $7.1 million from just 2,449 screens. Directed by the Philippou twins—yes, the same duo that gave us 2023’s surprise horror hit “Talk to Me”—this twisted tale features Sally Hawkins as a disturbingly enigmatic foster mom.
Even with the horror genre’s typical box office limitations, “Bring Her Back” earned a rare B+ CinemaScore, a strong sign of solid word-of-mouth. It’s essentially the only new horror release until “28 Years Later” drops on June 20, so it’s likely to hold on a little longer than usual.
💀 Final Destination: Bloodlines Still Has Some Scares Left
Sliding into fourth place, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” managed to hold strong with another $10.8 million in its third weekend. This latest entry in the franchise has officially become the highest-grossing Final Destination film ever, not adjusting for inflation, with a global total of $229.3 million. Not too shabby for a franchise that's been around since the early 2000s.
🎬 Indie Alert: Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” Gets a Small Start
Over in limited release territory, Wes Anderson’s latest quirky gem “The Phoenician Scheme” launched in New York and L.A. with a soft but respectable $270,000 debut. The good news? It’s set to expand nationwide next weekend, where Anderson’s devoted fanbase could help this indie flick find its legs.
📈 Summer Forecast: Is $4 Billion Within Reach?
So what’s the bigger picture here? May is on track to close with a sizzling $973 million, which marks a 75% increase over May 2024. That’s huge. But there’s still a long road ahead to reach the ultimate summer goal: $4 billion in total box office. That’s the kind of number we haven’t seen since the legendary “Barbenheimer” summer.
Analysts like Paul Dergarabedian from Comscore are optimistic. “This is the year of long-term playability,” he said. “Strong word of mouth and audience loyalty are more valuable than ever—maybe even more so than flashy opening weekends.”
🍿 Top 10 Box Office Champs (Domestic)
For those keeping score at home, here’s how the Top 10 movies stacked up this past weekend across U.S. and Canadian theaters (based on Friday through Sunday estimates):
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“Lilo & Stitch” – $63 million
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“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” – $27.3 million
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“Karate Kid: Legends” – $21 million
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“Final Destination: Bloodlines” – $10.8 million
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“Bring Her Back” – $7.1 million
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“Sinners” – $5.2 million
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“Thunderbolts” – $4.8 million
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“Friendship” – $2.6 million
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“The Last Rodeo” – $2.1 million
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“j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING” – $939,173
🔥 Closing Thoughts: Summer Cinema Is Back, Baby!
The numbers don’t lie—this summer box office is on fire, and it's only getting hotter. Between long-awaited sequels, surprise indie hits, and horror gems, theaters are once again a go-to destination for entertainment lovers across the country.
With heavy-hitters like Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” waiting in the wings, it’s going to be a fun ride through the rest of the summer.
So grab your popcorn, settle in, and enjoy the show—Hollywood’s rolling out the big guns, and audiences are loving every second of it.
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