Lilo & Stitch Nears $800M Global Box Office After Japan Opens No. 1

Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is close to reaching a big milestone. As of the third weekend since its release, the movie has made $772.6 million worldwide. Out of that total, $436.8 million came from international markets. The film added $67.7 million this weekend overseas, even with a 47% drop compared to the weekend before. It is expected to pass $800 million globally in the next few days.

Originally, the movie was going to be released on Disney+ as a streaming title. But in 2024, Disney changed plans and gave it a full theatrical release. The film opened over Memorial Day weekend and brought in $183 million, which was a record for that holiday. Now, Lilo & Stitch is the second-biggest studio release of the year overseas, and it is the top non-local film in every major market across Europe, except for Finland and Norway. It also ranks No. 1 across Latin America.

Japan Joins In as the Final Market

This weekend, Japan became the last international market to release the film. It opened at No. 1 with $4 million – the third-best opening for a studio movie in Japan this year. It was just 2% behind the debut of A Minecraft Movie.

So far, Lilo & Stitch is the highest-grossing movie of the year in several countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico.

Here are the five biggest markets for the film up to now:

• Mexico: $56.8 million
• United Kingdom: $42.2 million
• France: $30.4 million
• Brazil: $28.2 million
• Germany: $23.7 million

Director Dean Fleischer Camp Talks About the Film

The film was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who also directed Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which was nominated for an Oscar. He said the film’s success felt “pretty unbelievable.” Camp had worked on smaller movies before, so seeing this one do so well was a big moment for him. He said it was “validating” to see it become such a hit.

Camp also shared that just before a recent interview, he broke his toe. Except for the film’s premiere, he hasn’t yet seen the movie in a theater with an audience. He said he wants to watch it in a regular movie theater and feel the audience’s reaction.

He explained that even though the movie was first meant for streaming, he and the other filmmakers always believed it should be seen on a big screen. In his words, the film is “super funny,” “action-packed,” and “super emotional.”

Stitch’s Voice, the Cast, and a Moving Scene

One of Camp’s early requests was to bring back Chris Sanders, who originally helped create the character Stitch and voiced him in the first movie. Camp said that was one of his first questions before agreeing to the project. When he heard Sanders was “eager to come back,” Camp said it was a dream to work with him.

The film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Sydney Agudong as her older sister Nani. Camp said Maia was cast first. Thus, when casting for her older sister, they looked for someone who had natural chemistry with her. And when they saw Sydney and Maia together at the audition, it felt like they had always been sisters. Camp said Sydney is very protective of Maia, but they also get on each other’s nerves, just like real siblings.

Camp also praised Hannah Waddingham, who plays the Grand Councilwoman. Camp called her “amazing” and “so funny.” He mentioned there are recordings of her breaking character and saying things that aren’t fit for a Disney film, but they were very funny. He said he wishes they could include those clips in a red-band trailer, but of course, they can’t.

One of the most powerful moments in the film is when Stitch dies on the beach. Camp said that scene had been in development for a while, and it can be hard for young actors to give an emotional performance on a busy film set. But Maia nailed the scene on the very first take. What viewers see on screen, her crying and even the snot coming out, is real.

After the take, Camp asked her what she was thinking about. She answered, “I was thinking about how Stitch is going to get to meet Mama and Papa.” Camp said that the response gave him chills and that no one had told her to think that way. It came entirely from her own imagination.

The Film’s Ending Was Inspired by Hawaiian Culture

As expected, people online have criticized the film’s new ending, but Camp said that many of them probably hadn’t seen the movie. He explained that the team behind the film didn’t just want to copy the original version. They wanted to expand the idea of ohana, which means family, and to show what it means in real Hawaiian culture.

Camp said that Chris Sanders, who is from Hawaii, helped develop this part of the story. Sanders told the team that in Hawaii, two orphaned sisters wouldn’t be left alone. Instead, neighbors, church groups, aunties, and uncles would step in to help. That insight led to the creation of the character Tutu, who becomes Lilo’s guardian.

In the movie, Tutu takes Lilo in through hanai, which is a Hawaiian tradition of informal adoption. Camp said many Hawaiian viewers noticed the Hanai reference and appreciated it. He also said this version of the story shows how a community can come together when a family is in trouble, and that was a key message they wanted to share.

Camp said it’s hard to please everyone when making a remake, especially when people have deep memories of the original. But he and the team wanted to be honest about loss and about how people find support in the people around them.

Could There Be a Sequel?

When asked if he would return to make a sequel or spinoff, Camp said he would only do it if it was “the right idea.” He said he wouldn’t do it just because people want more. However, he said he liked the idea of creating an animated spinoff as a limited series or show.

Other Films in Theaters Right Now

While Lilo & Stitch leads the box office, other movies are also performing well.

• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, from Paramount and Skydance, has now made $450.4 million worldwide, including $301.2 million from international markets. This weekend, it earned $40.6 million internationally, a 47% drop.

In China, it stayed at No. 1 for the second weekend in a row and has made $47.5 million there. According to Maoyan, it could finish with about $62 million in China. Other top countries for this film are the UK ($27.8M), Japan ($23.4M), Korea ($20.5M), and France ($17.7M).

In IMAX, the movie has earned $69.1 million globally, or 15.3% of its total, which is the best result for any Mission: Impossible film in that format.

• Ballerina, the John Wick spinoff starring Ana de Armas, made $51 million worldwide in its first weekend. That includes $26 million from 82 international markets. It opened at No. 1 in China ($3M), the UK ($2.5M), and Mexico ($1.9M). Lionsgate distributes the film in the UK and Latin America. It will open in Italy and Japan in the coming weeks and will also be shown at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.
• Karate Kid: Legends, from Sony, brought in $10 million from 57 international markets, raising its total to $38.6 million internationally and $74 million globally. It will open in Spain, France, and Japan in August.
• Final Destination: Bloodlines, from Warner Bros. and New Line, earned $8.1 million from 75 international markets this weekend, bringing its international total to $133.6 million and its global total to $257.2 million. This was also a 47% drop from the previous weekend.
• Universal’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon began showing previews in Korea, where it made $4 million over three days. It also received a 99% CGV Egg score, and the full release will begin later this week.

More Box Office Updates

Several other films added to their totals this weekend:

• The Phoenician Scheme (Universal) earned $2.9 million from 57 international markets, bringing its totals to $11 million internationally and $18 million globally.
• A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros.) made $1.8 million in 72 international markets. It now has $527.8 million internationally and $951.4 million globally.
• Sinners (Warner Bros.) brought in $800,000 from 56 international markets. It has made $84.6 million internationally and $357.2 million worldwide.