Lilo and Stitch Breaks Box Office Records

Shares of movie theater companies soared on Tuesday following a record-breaking Memorial Day Weekend at the domestic box office. AMC saw its stock jump more than 23%, while shares of Marcus Theatres’ parent company Marcus Corporation climbed 10% and Cinemark stock leaped nearly 4%.

Tandem Releases of New Films

The tandem releases of Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning” alongside holdovers Disney and Marvel’s “Thunderbolts,” Warner Bros.’ “Sinners” and “Final Destination Bloodlines” led to an estimated $326 million haul, the highest Memorial Day box office ever, according to data from Comscore. It is also more than double the $132 million in ticket sales collected last year during the same period.

Box Office Performance

“Everything came together at the right time with two eagerly anticipated, positively reviewed tentpoles courting a diverse range of audiences,” said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “This record holiday frame continues a box office winning streak which began in the spring and has now grown into bona fide momentum for what will likely be a $4 billion-plus summer at domestic cinemas thanks to a string of promising blockbusters on the slate.”

Theater Performance

AMC, Cinemark and Marcus Theatres each posted their best Memorial Day Weekend ticket revenues of all time, as well as record food and beverage sales for the holiday. “Finally it would appear that our industry has turned a corner,” Adam Aron, CEO of AMC, said in a statement. “Since early April, weekend after weekend, moviegoers have been demonstrating their preference for theatrical moviegoing. A record-setting Memorial Day holiday is yet another sign of the continued strength and relevance of moviegoing in 2025.”

Film Performance

“Lilo & Stitch” tallied $183 million during the four-day frame, leading the pack, while the eighth installment in the Mission Impossible franchise scooped up $77 million. “Final Destination Bloodlines” took in $23.9 million, “Thunderbolts” added $11.8 million and “Sinners” snared $11 million, Comscore reported.

Summer Outlook

The combination of new product and strong carryover from previously released films fueled the weekend, Chad Paris, chief financial officer at Marcus Corp, told CNBC. “This is the first time this year where I would say we’ve had a fulsome amount of product for the weekend,” he said. “And we’re now getting into the stretch in the calendar where we’ll have a steady cadence of product releases and across genres, a lot of different products for people to go see.”

Upcoming Releases

Over the summer period, which ends Labor Day Weekend, the domestic box office will see the release of Universal’s live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon,” a new Disney and Pixar feature “Elio,” the hotly anticipated “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Warner Bros.’ “Superman” reboot, and Disney and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” In between these tentpoles are a slew of low-and-mid budget films across genres like horror, drama, comedy and sports.

Box Office Projections

“Every other studio and every other movie on the horizon over the next few weeks are going to ride a wave and benefit from the performance of the past couple of months,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “We’re going to have one hell of a summer and if Memorial Weekend is any indication, we’re certainly looking at a $4 billion plus summer at potentially $4.2 billion plus and that’s great news after a summer of 2024 that failed to reach that milestone.”

Conclusion

The record-breaking Memorial Day Weekend at the domestic box office is a positive sign for the movie industry, with a strong lineup of films scheduled for release over the summer. The combination of new product and strong carryover from previously released films is expected to drive box office revenue to over $4 billion.

FAQs

Q: What was the total box office revenue for the Memorial Day Weekend?
A: The total box office revenue for the Memorial Day Weekend was an estimated $326 million.
Q: Which film led the box office over the Memorial Day Weekend?
A: “Lilo & Stitch” led the box office over the Memorial Day Weekend, tallying $183 million.
Q: What is the projected box office revenue for the summer?
A: The projected box office revenue for the summer is over $4 billion, potentially reaching $4.2 billion.
Q: What films are scheduled for release over the summer?
A: Over the summer, films such as Universal’s live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon,” a new Disney and Pixar feature “Elio,” the hotly anticipated “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Warner Bros.’ “Superman” reboot, and Disney and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” are scheduled for release.